As one of the most multi-talented filmmakers of the modern era, nobody really took Steven Soderbergh at his word when he claimed he was retiring from the movie business. Sure enough, his directorial exile only lasted four years in between Behind the Candelabra and Logan Lucky, but it wasn’t like he was sitting at home twiddling his thumbs in the interim.
During his “sabbatical,” the Academy Award winner conspired to direct all 20 episodes of The Knick, as well as off-Broadway stage show The Library, while he also re-edited his own version of studio-killing bomb Heaven’s Gate, and refitted Raiders of the Lost Ark into a black-and-white silent film.
We haven’t even mentioned how he additionally executive produced the small screen adaptation of his feature The Girlfriend Experience, created multimedia murder mystery Mosaic, and served as the cinematographer, editor, and camera operator on sequel Magic Mike XXL. In short, it was the worst retirement ever.
Even if it was a retirement in name only, Logan Lucky still marked a stellar return to form by delivering a high-octane crime comedy bolstered by an impeccable cast on top form, with Daniel Craig and Adam Driver particular standouts. Plotting the NASCAR robbery of the century is difficult enough as it is on paper, never mind when it’s being orchestrated by idiots.
With Soderbergh and Channing Tatum’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance currently in theaters, streaming subscribers appear to have been dipping into the duo’s back catalogue for inspiration, seeing as FlixPatrol has revealed Logan Lucky to be one of the most popular hits on Google Play Movies this weekend.