Oscar-nominated director Simon Kinberg's The 355 film finds its way to Netflix as an action-thriller hit

The 355, directed by Oscar-nominated Simon Kinberg, makes a surprising comeback on Netflix. The star-studded action movie, released in 2022 and starring Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong'o, Diane Kruger, and Fan Bingbing, didn't do very well at the box office.

The film includes a star-studded lineup and the famous espionage-centered plot. However, it earned mixed reviews and didn't stay in theaters for long.

But since it appeared on Netflix in the US on August 21, The 355 has recovered. This August, the movie made it into the Top 10 movies in the US and got a lot of attention online. Its unexpected success on streaming proves that the right platform may sometimes help a movie find an audience it didn't have before.

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The 355 becomes a Netflix hit

The 355 (Image via Netflix)

The 355 currently ranks sixth on Netflix’s Top 10 movies in the U.S., sitting above animated favorites like Despicable Me 2 and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. The film’s sudden resurgence underscores how streaming platforms often offer second chances for films that underperform in theaters.

The movie came out in January 2022 and made only $27.8 million worldwide, even though it had an estimated budget of $75 million. The 355 got a 24% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which meant it was a critical and commercial failure.

However, the 86% audience score provides a different perspective. Critics didn't like the story of the movie, but spectators loved the fast-paced action and the cast from all over the world. This difference could be why The 355 is doing so well on Netflix, where people want easy-to-watch action-thrillers.

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What is The 355 all about?

The 355 is titled after Agent 355, a female spy who worked for the United States during the American Revolution. This reference to history sets the stage for a movie about women from all around the world working together to stop a terrorist group from beginning World War III.

Jessica Chastain plays CIA agent Mason "Mace" Brown, who is putting together a team of spies from throughout the world. They all have to deal with betrayals, changing loyalties, and the prospect of world devastation.

Jessica Chastain, who worked with Kinberg on Dark Phoenix, was the first to suggest making a spy thriller with only women. Kinberg directed the project and co-wrote the script with Theresa Rebeck. The film has a multinational setting because it was filmed in Paris and London, among other places. Production started in 2019.

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A star-studded ensemble

The cast at the 71st Annual Cannes Film Festival (Image via Getty)

The 355 features an ensemble cast led by Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, and Lupita Nyong’o, alongside Diane Kruger and Fan Bingbing. The film also includes supporting roles from Édgar Ramírez, Sebastian Stan, and Jason Flemyng. Characters representing intelligence agencies from the United States, Germany, Colombia, the United Kingdom, and China reflect the film's international scope.

Despite its high-profile cast, the film's theatrical release attracted limited audiences. Reviews at the time often noted concerns about the plot and pacing. On streaming platforms, however, the film has reached a wider audience, where its availability has contributed to renewed visibility and increased viewership.

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Simon Kinberg’s career beyond The 355

Simon Kinberg (Image via Getty)

Simon Kinberg has been in the business for twenty years, and throughout that time he has had both successes and failures. He got his first writing credits in 2005 for XXX: State of the Union and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. He became more well-known because he wrote and produced The Last Stand (2006), First Class (2011), Days of Future Past (2014), and Apocalypse (2016) in the X-Men series.

Kinberg worked on and wrote more than just superhero movies. He worked on and written movies like Sherlock Holmes (2009), Elysium (2013), and Murder on the Orient Express (2017). He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture for his work as a producer on Ridley Scott's The Martian (2015).

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From box-office flop to streaming sensation

The film shows how different theater and streaming audiences are. On streaming services, people often watch movies they wouldn't normally see in theaters. Netflix's accessibility and star-studded cast make it more appealing. The movie has reached new audiences and gotten better audience evaluations, even though critics didn't like it very much.

Moreover, it was a box office flop when it first came out, but it has since become one of Netflix's most popular movies. This shows how the life cycle of modern movies can be unpredictable. Its return shows how streaming may give movies that weren't seen in cinemas a second opportunity.

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The 355 was made available for online streaming on Netflix on August 21.