Forgotten Clint Eastwood Movie Is a Netflix Hit
As Clint Eastwood prepares to make his final mark on Hollywood with Juror #2, which he is set to direct and is rumored to be his final movie, it is another movie from his not-so-distant past that is making waves on Netflix. In 2018, the legendary actor starred in The Mule, a crime drama based on the real-life story of Leo Sharp, and the film is currently soaring up Netflix's streaming charts.
As of Monday morning, The Mule ranked as the third most-popular movie currently streaming on Netflix in the U.S. It only falls behind The Perfect Find (No. 2) and the Chris Hemsworth-starring film Extraction 2 (No. 1). It beats out other titles like Take Care of Maya, Through My Window: Across the Sea, and The Boss Baby. The Mule's current third place ranking is a slight downtick, as FlixPatrol data shows that the film previously took the No.2 spot on June 20 before falling to No. 3.
Marking Eastwood's first acting credit since 2012's Trouble with the Curve, The Mule stars Eastwood as Earl Stone, a 90-year-old horticulturist who, after fidning himself broke and facing foreclosure on his business, takes a job as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He eventually draws the attention of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. The film is loosely based on the true story of Sharp, who at 87-years-old was said to have been the world's oldest drug mule. He was eventually arrested ended up being sentenced to serve a three year prison sentence in 2014. Along with Eastwood, who also directed, the film stars Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, Dianne Wiest, and Andy García.
Upon its release, The Mule grossed over $174 million and was met with mostly positive reviews. The film currently holds a 70% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a critics consensus reading, "a flawed yet enjoyable late-period Eastwood entry, The Mule stubbornly retains its footing despite a few missteps on its occasionally unpredictable path." The Mule also holds a 66% audience score.
Eastwood is next set to follow-up The Mule with Juror #2, a Warner Bros. thriller that centers around Justin Kemp, a family man who, "while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma ... one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict – or free – the wrong killer." Eastwood is set to direct the film, which DiscussingFilm reported will be his final film.