At Netflix, "The Son" also rises as Sony Pictures Classics' Hugh Jackman flop finds new life.
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (Universal) has grossed triple what “John Wick: Chapter 4” (Lionsgate) has in theaters. But for home viewers, the latest Keunu Reeves action sequel booted the Nintendo game animated film out of all #1 VOD rankings after only one week.
Impressively, this was not only on iTunes and Google Play (which rank by number of transactions) but also Vudu, which tallies by revenue. “Wick” costs the standard $19.99 to view, while “SMB” is $24.99 ($29.99 to own). That suggests at that site at least it had a clear lead for the week. Meantime, “SMB” is a unanimous #2.
At Netflix, the success of recent Sony titles continues to be seen among their most viewed movies. The studio, lacking its own streaming site, now regularly sends its films there a few months after release. “Missing” continues at #1, but the surprise this week has been the success of “The Son.”
This is the first film from Sony Pictures Classics, the studio’s niche specialized division, to show elevated interest at the sight. Currently #3, it rose as high as second over the weekend. That despite its failure to find much interest in theaters (only a $450,000 gross) or critics (a bad 45 Metacritic score).
The reason? It stars Hugh Jackman, for whom this was considered a possible Oscar nomination vehicle. It was a follow-up (though not a sequel) to “The Father,” also directed and co-written by Florian Zeller to significant interest during Covid shutdowns. The lack of awareness may have propelled interest, similar to other Netflix offering (often originals) that are elevated by big names in the cast.
The VOD charts varied little otherwise from last week. Apart from the top two, “Dungeons & Dragon: Honor Among Thieves” (Paramount), now $5.99, and “Evil Dead Rise” (Warner Bros. Discovery), “Sisu” (Lionsgate), and “The Covenant” (MGM), all $19.99, also charted across the board.
The only other new title, after its third weekend, was “Love Again” (Sony). The $19.99 price elevated the low-grossing rom-com at Vudu. Figure it’s another film from the studio that will do better ahead at Netflix.
Of note as well at Netflix — as Robert De Niro’s new comedy “All About My Father” fails to gain much traction in theaters, his 2017 “Dirty Grandpa” shows up at #4. That’s a higher position than the #6 the new film saw in theaters.
Otherwise, international original movies are prominent this week. Previous #1 “The Mother” with Jennifer Lopez is still #2, with films from Germany (“Blood & Gold”), Poland (“Mother’s Day”), and Mexico (“Where the Tracks End”) are also on the top ten. Thelast stars Adriana Barraza, an Oscar nominee for “Babel.”
iTunes and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for Monday, May 29. Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for rental.
1. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) – $19.99
2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal) – $24.99
3. Dungeons & Dragon: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount) – $5.99
4. Creed III (MGM) – $5.99
5. 65 (Sony) – $5.99
6. Sisu (Lionsgate) – $19.99
7. The Covenant (MGM) – $19.99
8. Avatar: The Way of Water (Disney) – $19.99
9. Evil Dead Rise (WBD) – $19.99
10. Operation Fortune: Russe de Guerre (Lionsgate) – $5.99
Google Play
1. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) – $19.99
2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal) – $24.99
3. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount) – $19.99
4. Evil Dead Rise (WBD) – $19.99
5. 65 (Sony) – $5.99
6. Avatar: The Way of Water (Disney) – $19.99
7. The Covenant (MGM) – $19.99
8. Sisu (Lionsgate) – $19.99
9. Creed III (MGM) – $5.99
10. The Pope’s Exorcist (Sony) – $19.99
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, elevating premium VOD titles. This list covers May 22-28.
1. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) – $19.99
2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal) – $24.99
3. Shazam! Fury of the Gods (WBD) – $5.99
4. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount) – $5.99
5. Sisu (Lionsgate) – $19.99
6. Evil Dead Rise (WBD) – $19.99
7. The Covenant (MGM) – $19.99
8. Love Again (Song) – $19.99
9. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Disney) – $5.99
10. The Pope’s Exorcist (Sony) – $19.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s daily chart on Monday, May 29. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed.
1. Missing (2023 theatrical release)
2. The Mother (Netflix original)
3. The Son (2022 theatrical release)
4. Dirty Grandpa (2016 theatrical release)
5. Boss Baby (2017 theatrical release)
6. Blood & Gold (2023 German Netflix original)
7. A Man Called Otto (2022 theatrical release)
8. Ted (2012 theatrical release)
9. Mother’s Day (2023 Polish Netflix original)
10. Where the Tracks End (2023 Mexican Netflix original)
