Back in the days before his number one goal became stealing Warner Bros.’ money without actually delivering anything to justify the company’s investment, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot used to have a nice sideline in churning out top-notch genre movies, with Overlord standing out among the pack.
Even though there were rumors in the buildup to its release that the World War II adventure would be the latest secret entry in the Cloverfield franchise, it turned out to be a more than solid standalone action thriller. Of course, it also happens to be completely off-the-rails insane, with the opening act giving Saving Private Ryan vibes before it evolves into something closer to The Thing.
It was a bold swing for the fences from director Julius Avery, but one he pulled off with aplomb after Overlord won strong reviews and wasted no time in cementing itself as a stone-cold cult favorite. However, it did suffer the ignominy of bombing hard at the box office by barely recouping its $38 million budget in ticket sales, even if a long-lasting second life is a decent enough substitute.
To that end, the rollicking romp behind enemy lines that takes an unexpectedly gnarly detour into creature feature territory has been dropping bombs on the streaming charts all over again, with FlixPatrol naming it as one of the most-watched titles on iTunes all week. It may have flopped the first time around, but we can at least sleep safely in the knowledge that Overlord will continue winning over new converts with its one-of-a-kind wartime antics for a long time to come.