He’s bad to the bone. And he’s dominating streaming this week. Major Payne, the hilarious Damon Wayans comedy, is Netflix’s fourth most popular film on the streaming service today across U.S. audiences.
The flick, directed by Nick Castle, features Wayans as Marine Benson Winifred Payne. After a successful military operation in South America, the titular Payne is sent from elite frontline combat to a training regiment with the Madison Preparatory School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. There, Wayans must coach his kids through the Virginia Military Games, despite being far too war-hardened and intense for the rowdy teaching gig.
The film, hailed as a military satire, was not well received on launch. Over at Rotten Tomatoes, ’90s critics disparaged the film, with one writer calling it a “relentlessly misguided military mishap starring Wayans as a uniformed motormouth with an edgy attitude.” Ouch.
The film is just a little too intense for kids, perhaps, but years later its audience score sits at a modest 68 percent.
This explains why the film is dominating Netflix’s U.S. charts, where it serves as today’s fifth top film, FlixPatrol reports. As recently as Aug. 13, the film was even in the top three among U.S. audiences. Major Payne may not be the best movie in the world, but Damon Wayans brings the edge that today’s audiences are sure to love for a late-night binge watch.