Ever since transitioning from WWE to acting, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has starred in some major hits, and one of his best films is now streaming for free.
Pain & Gain, the 2013 black comedy action crime film that teamed Johnson with director Michael Bay, joined the Pluto TV streaming lineup last month.
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The film stars Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, and Anthony Mackie as a trio of bodybuilders in Florida who get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes wrong. The movie is based on a 1999 series of Miami New Times articles by Pete Collins about the activities of the Sun Gym gang, and also stars Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Rebel Wilson, and Ken Jeong, among others.
Coming about a decade into his acting career, which he began in 2000 alongside his wrestling career before he transitioned to full-time acting in 2004, Pain & Gain is widely considered to be among Johnson’s best films. The movie consistently ranks alongside his other hits like Moana, The Fast and the Furious series, and The Other Guys.
Ranking Pain & Gain eighth among Johnson’s roster of best credits, The Guardian said the “film represented a deliberate step back towards reality for both its star (who had just made a GI Joe movie) and its director, Michael Bay (who had been focusing on Transformers films)… the film is a wonderful reminder of Johnson’s strengths.” Meanwhile, ScreenRant said the movie “was a very different movie for both” Johnson and Bay “and is a standout in their respective filmographies.”
Although the movie was considered to be a box office hit when it grossed $86 million worldwide against a $26 million production budget, it did receive some mixed reviews from critics. Pain & Gain currently holds a 49% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, where a critics consensus reads, “it may be his most thought-provoking film to date, but Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain ultimately loses its satirical edge in a stylized flurry of violent spectacle.” However, critics seemed to agree that the script and performances from the cast deserved praise.
Johnson’s fans can now stream Pain & Gain on Pluto TV, Paramount’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST). To see what else is newly streaming on the platform, click here.