A 2007 Sandra Bullock Supernatural Thriller Is Finding Brand New Fans On Netflix

Since hitting it big in the 1994 action classic "Speed," Sandra Bullock has become one of Hollywood's most valuable leading ladies. But like every actor's filmography, Bullock has more than a few films under her belt that have gone under the radar. Among them is the 2007 sci-fi movie "Premonition." While critically panned during its initial release, it has since developed a growing fanbase, as proven by its current positioning among Netflix's ten most-watched films (via FlixPatrol).

Released shortly before her Oscar-winning role in "The Blind Side," "Premonition" is a very different kind of Sandra Bullock movie. The supernatural psychological thriller sees Bullock as Linda Hanson, whose husband (who may look familiar) dies in a car crash. But when she wakes the next day to find him very much alive, it kicks off a bizarre series of events that test her sanity, as time seems to be playing tricks on her. From there, she'll have to unravel the mystery and stop a complicated sequence of events from unfolding — while everyone believes she's losing her mind.

Produced on a modest budget, "Premonition" was a decent money maker, offering a riveting story that mixed elements of mystery, science fiction, and horror, tied together by a stunning ending that may need to be explained. Thankfully, that appeal seems to be as strong as ever in the age of streaming. 

Without giving too much away, "Premonition's" use of time is a major component to its story. Bullock's character experiences events in the future, and is unsure of what is happening when. That confusion translated to real life, as the actress struggled with the script during filming. Like most movies, "Premonition" was filmed out of order, doubling the confusion stemming from the movie's non-linear structure. Ironically, though, Bullock credits that confusion in aiding her performance.

"I had a really hard time," Bullock told Collider in a 2007 interview. "And I take great pleasure in saying I thought I was going to lose it." In fact, Bullock later approached director Mennan Yapo to help better grasp the narrative. "I went to the director and said, 'I'm having a hard time. I don't know what to do.' And the smile on his face when he heard that, 'No, that's exactly where you need to be.'" 

Given that Bullock's character is meant to be perplexed by the order of events around her, the actress just needed to be herself. And though Bullock admitted that telling the story more linearly may have been easier, she also acknowledged that such an approach wouldn't have worked while making "Premonition."