The 2014 George Clooney Flop Getting A Second Life On Netflix
New Netflix releases like "Damsel" may get the lion's share of attention, but the streaming platform also provides opportunities for subscribers to check out older fare that may have flown under the radar previously. In fact, one of the most watched movies on Netflix presently, according to data provided by FlixPatrol, is 2014's "The Monuments Men." The film, which George Clooney directed, co-wrote, and starred in, flopped at the box office, grossing $155 million worldwide against a budget of $70 million. However, viewers are giving it another shot because, on March 12, the film was the fourth most-watched movie on the platform.
The movie boasts an all-star cast. In addition to Clooney, "The Monuments Men" also stars Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, and Bill Murray. While it may be considered one of Damon's worst movies, some audiences may enjoy the World War II story of a group of treasure hunters attempting to save and preserve valuable artworks before they're destroyed by the Nazis.
The poor box office performance and largely negative reviews of "The Monuments Men" may have ended Clooney's hot streak following "Gravity," but perhaps it's worth another look. The film will leave Netflix on March 31, so subscribers only have a few more weeks to check it out before it's gone.
Is The Monuments Men worth uncovering?
It's easy to see why new audiences would be drawn to "The Monuments Men" on Netflix. The movie sees a reunion between George Clooney and Matt Damon, who were impeccable together in the "Ocean's Eleven" series. "The Monuments Men" is actually somewhat similar in premise to that film, as it also involves a heist of sorts with the ragtag group of Allied forces attempting to preserve noteworthy art. Sadly, the film didn't seem to hit the same notes as "Ocean's Eleven" with critics, but the movie does have some supporters in its corner.
One such defender is Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post, who ultimately came out in favor of Clooney's directorial effort, writing, "If 'The Monuments Men' never overcomes its unwieldy structure and unevenness of tone, the film still manages to make a profound, even subtle point: that Hitler's darkest impulses and annihilating reach extended from human beings to history itself." That unevenness in tone is something that comes up in many reviews, but that didn't deter Lou Lumenick of The New York Post from writing positively about it: "Clooney's low-key directorial effort is not quite an Oscar-caliber movie, though it's got a great cast, a worthy theme and plenty of things to reward adult moviegoers."
That great cast and intriguing plotline may be what's enticing people on Netflix to check it out. If nothing else, watching "The Monuments Men" provides context to a bizarre on-set prank Clooney did on Damon while filming.