The current Top 15 most-watched TV and movies on Netflix include the first German-language series to enter the list, the critically acclaimed “Dark,” to shows like Breaking Bad (excellent) and Space Force (BAD) However, fittingly, the most-watched movie on the streamer over July 4th weekend was the Mark Wahlberg thriller “Patriots Day,” which dramatized the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing back in 2013 and the search for the two terrorists behind it.
It’s a highly underrated movie that doesn’t get the credit it deserves because it is directed by Peter Berg, a conservative-minded filmmaker who doesn't shy away from paying tribute to American heroism in every film. Yes, I know, American heroism isn’t supposed to be a divisive issue, but in 2020 it is. “Patriots Day” shows cops trying to serve and protect, now, how possibly uncool can that be in this current climate? And yet, there’s a silent majority out there that couldn’t give a rat’s ass about being “woke,” they are the ones that pushed “Patriots Day” to the top of the Netflix most-watched list this weekend.
I was very positive about the film back in 2016:
"Patriots Day" is a fervently patriotic, but solidly made thriller from director Peter Berg. At first, I was ready to dismiss this picture as another America-rah-rah kind of film and the trailer did hint at that being the case. What I wasn't expecting was how cinematic Berg's film would be. The electrifying manhunt for the two terrorist suspects that concocted the tragic Boston Marathon Bombings back in 2013 is more than enough to sustain your attention throughout this 133-minute film. The way Berg does business here is blunt and effective, he doesn't hold back and just lets the story take over you.”
”The bombings, which caused 3 deaths and injured 264, led to a massive manhunt, but the film doesn't only focus on that. It also focuses on the heroic tales of simple folks that tried to make a difference that day. The extensive research that Berg and company made does show, the professionalism at hand leads to a hard-earned film that does the city proud.”
”Shuttling through an array of characters and storylines, "Patriots Day" is a messy film, it sometimes over-excitingly gets over-cooked, but there is something to be said about a film with this much heart. When Berg sticks to investigative chaos and action sequences we are sucked right back into its frames. None more immersive than the Watertown confrontation between Boston Police and the two terrorists. In the blink of an eye this seemingly quiet neighborhood gets turned into hell on the streets, as bombs explode, artillery gets used and horrific screaming occurs with every jolt. It recalls the very best of Paul Greengrass, who is an obvious influence for Berg here, and catapults you right into the thick of things in that historic day”
The man doesn't stop. James Gunn has confirmed he's already hard at work writing his next film, even as ‘Man of Tomorrow’ makes its way toward theaters next summer.