The Jeffrey Dean Morgan Crime Thriller Getting A Second Life On Netflix

Jeffrey Dean Morgan may be best known to many for his iconic role as Negan on "The Walking Dead" franchise, but Netflix viewers now also know him for his 2020 movie "The Postcard Killings." Years after its release, the film has become a belated hit on the streamer. 

The independently produced film, which was adapted from a James Patterson and Liz Marklund novel, features Morgan as the hard-drinking Detective Jacob Kanon, an NYPD officer heartbroken by the murder of his daughter and son-in-law. Jacob travels to London to identify their bodies; they were killed together during their honeymoon and posed in an artificial way. Through the work of journalist Dessie Lombard (Cush Jumbo), and his various police force connections, Jacob learns that his daughter and son-in-law aren't the only victims of the murderer. They're just two recently-married people who have been targeted by what appears to be a serial killer who poses his victims, takes pictures of them, and sends a postcard from the locale to the police. Dessie and Jacob team up to track down the killer before he can do any further harm.

While "The Postcard Killings" didn't make a splash when it was initially released, it was the fifth most popular film on Netflix for the week of January 29 – February 4, 2024. That is all the more impressive when considering that the movie received a critical drubbing during its initial release.

Critics were not kind to "The Postcard Killings" during its initial release. The film stands at a 24% critical approval score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews reflect a film with a mishmash of thoughts behind it, none of which seem to land as far as the critics are concerned. The Los Angeles Times' Noel Murray wrote that the film is "awkwardly pitched between serious art and pulp trash," and without enough uniqueness to keep it alive as an original production.

Dennis Harvey of Variety called out the film's lack of depth and the thinly drawn characters that make up the cast. Writing for The Observer, Rex Reed said the film lacks a sense of humor and a consistent feeling. "The script seesaws up and down between subplots while Jeffrey Dean Morgan slogs his way through the whole thing with one expression. He is very good at emotional breakdowns, and does them often. Sort of keeps you awake, if you know what I mean," he wrote.

While critics don't seem to think that "The Postcard Killings" is anywhere close to being one of the best thrillers of all time, it appears that Netflix audiences have definitely embraced the movie, flaws and all.