The power of streaming sometimes comes with surprises. While most of the time, highly-anticipated or popular projects tend to reach the top spots in the streaming charts, there are times when hidden gems make their way there as well. That’s what’s happened this week when a poorly-received title managed to hit the number one spot on Netflix.
The 2023 action-adventure film, Hidden Strike, managed to surpass Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie on Netflix’s Top 10 charts this week and claimed the number one spot. The film received more than 22 million views and accumulated over 37 million hours watched. The movie initially premiered on July 6 in the UAE before it’s U.S. release on July 29 via Netflix.
Hidden Strike stars Jackie Chan and John Cena, and it’s about a group of mercenaries attempting to stop an oil heist. Unfortunately, this action blockbuster didn’t sit well with fans and critics alike, as it has an average critics score of 17 percent and an audience score of 54 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was criticized for the ‘overuse of CGI,’ the ‘lack of chemistry’ between Cena and Chan, and was seen as ‘pure popcorn entertainment.’ Let’s also not forget the fact that Hidden Strike was filmed five years ago and had numerous name changes before its official release.
So, if Hidden Strike was that bad, what caused it to reach the number one spot? According to audiences in the trailer’s comments and on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s Jackie Chan. The Chinese actor’s last major U.S. project was The LEGO Ninjago Movie and Kung Fu Panda 3. While he has starred in numerous Chinese projects, the last time most people probably saw him in live-action was in 2010’s The Karate Kid and Spy Next Door. Of course, people still remember him from his time in Rush Hour and were eager to see how he would pair up with Cena.
If you want to see Chan back in action, alongside the man who played a merman in Barbie, Hidden Strike is now streaming on Netflix.