The Action Thriller Flop Getting A Second Life On Netflix

While new releases typically take up a significant portion of Netflix's Top 10 list at any given time, older films and TV series frequently end up on this list too. For instance, the 2011 Owen Wilsom comedy "Hall Pass" killed it on Netflix in 2021. Similarly, around the start of February, the 2017 box office flop "American Assassin" landed on Netflix's Top 10 list, rising as high as its number two spot.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the critical reception to "American Assassin" from around the time of its premiere netted it a 34%. However, it fared at least somewhat better with the general moviegoing public, earning a 60% audience score. Among its detractors is film critic Leonard Maltin, who opened his review, "I didn't believe a single moment in 'American Assassin.'"

Rather than some sort of cultural trend leading to its resurgence in the zeitgeist, its newfound popularity simply appears to be a result of Netflix adding the film to its streaming catalog on February 1. Its star Dylan O'Brien, meanwhile, seems to be the main factor inspiring Netflix subscribers to check out the movie for the first time now that it's easily accessible. O'Brien has worked on some noteworthy projects since "American Assassin," including "Bumblebee" and "Love and Monsters." It's thanks largely to fans of his who missed "American Assassin" the first time around, then, that the film is suddenly a hit on Netflix.

"American Assassin" is based on a thriller novel by author Vince Flynn of the same name. Its protagonist Mitch Rapp — the character Dylan O'Brien plays — is the lead in more than 20 of Flynn's novels. In fact, it was another Mitch Rapp book entirely that producers CBS Films and Di Bonaventura Pictures initially optioned to adapt into a feature before pivoting to "American Assassin."

Based on this extensive source material in addition to the fact that "American Assassin" ends on a cliffhanger, it stands to reason there were once plans for subsequent films in which O'Brien would reprise the role of Rapp. While those plans were never quite confirmed, Flynn's editor, Emily Bestler, hinted at the idea of a film franchise in an interview with Pioneer Press.

At the box office, "American Assassin" made about twice its budget, so the film wasn't necessarily a financial failure. Nevertheless, whatever profits it brought in financially weren't enough to overcome its overall negative reception, and production on a sequel never moved forward. While its popularity on Netflix is unlikely to make a difference seven years after the fact, it's a positive sign nevertheless for fans holding out hope for another Mitch Rapp movie.