Zac Efron has stepped into the shoes of dozens of characters throughout his acting career, but it is his role as Mike O’Donnell that is currently earning plenty of attention from Netflix subscribers. After joining the streaming library on Saturday, Oct. 1, the beloved 2009 teen comedy film 17 Again has jumped onto Netflix’s streaming charts, earning a spot as one of the most popular titles currently on the platform.
Directed by Burr Steers, the movie stars Efron as Mike, a role that is also portrayed by Matthew Perry. A former high-school basketball star with a bright future, Mike threw it all away to marry his girlfriend and raise their child, only for him to end up with a failed marriage, a job that is going nowhere, and kids who think he is nothing but a loser. After a chance accident, though, Mike gets the opportunity to change it all when he becomes his 17-year-old self again. Along with Efron and Perry, 17 Again also stars Leslie Mann and Allison Miller as Scarlet O’Donnell, and Thomas Lennon and Tyler Steelman as Ned Gold.
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Although 17 Again was certified rotten by critics on Rotten Tomatoes with a 57% critics score and a critics consensus reading, “it uses a well-worn formula, 17 Again has just enough Zac Efron charm to result in a harmless, pleasurable teen comedy,” it is enjoying plenty of success on Netflix. Less than two weeks after 17 Again joined the streamer’s content catalog, the movie broke into the Top 10 Movies chart on Oct. 13, taking the No. 10 pot. It currently sits at No. 9, beating out Charlotte’s Web and falling behind films including Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Luckiest Girl Alive, and The Curse of Bridge Hollow, among others.
The film’s success isn’t necessarily much of a surprise. While critics certified it rotten, 17 Again was loved by audiences, who gave the movie a 67% fresh audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. One viewer wrote of the movie, “Zac Efron carries this one. Cliched theme, but well executed. Good script. Feel good story, a little sappy, but OK,” with another writing that 17 Again is a “super fun ride, easy to watch,” adding that Efron “does a great job with this ‘freaky Friday’ type role – and all the cast are great with comedic timing.”
Fans of Efron have more than just a few options when it comes to viewing the actor’s roster of credits on Netflix. Along with 17 Again, Netflix is also home to Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, The Lucky One, and Down to Earth with Zac Efron, all of which are available to stream.
