(Credits: Open Road Films / Briarcliff Entertainment)

Liam Neeson has taken on many such roles that have propelled his rise in Hollywood. From The Grey and Taken to Les Misérables and Schindler’s List, his film credits are etched in blockbuster gold. But as is tradition in Tinseltown, not every part he’s played has equally amplified his stature. One such role is Tom Dolan in Honest Thief. Despite holding a meagre 41% Rotten Tomatoes rating, the film is currently storming the Netflix UK charts.

Mark Williams’s 2020 action-thriller Honest Thief has unexpectedly become a fan favourite on Netflix’s top ten movies list in the UK this week. The film is currently ranked at number two, just behind the record-breaking Netflix original production KPop Demon Hunters. Additionally, it’s the number one movie in two countries: Ireland and Malta.

Honest Thief follows former US Marine and demolitions expert Tom Dolan, who later becomes a bank robber. But one fine day, he chanced upon Annie Wilkins and fell in love. Driven by the desire to let go of the ghosts of his past, he intends to turn himself in for a lenient sentence. However, his honesty soon backfires as corrupt FBI agents end up framing him.

Honest Thief was panned by critics for its predictable and straightforward plot. But the same movie enjoys an 87% Popcornmeter rating. The polarity is alarming, but it’s proof that the audience is more forgiving. Moreover, casual viewers are always on the hunt for simple entertainment in the streaming era. Something that doesn’t require a profound viewing commitment and reading between the lines. Perhaps Neeson’s action-thriller essentially fits these bills.

Although Honest Thief is an easy-to-follow storyline, the movie was released during the COVID-19 pandemic when theatre-goers had shrunk to a new low. As a result, it didn’t enjoy a wider audience initially. While for some it’s akin to a “new” release, the film’s availability and accessibility on streaming may have allowed fans to give it another try.

Honest Thief might fall under the score of predictability in more ways than one. However, one cannot undermine the loyal fan following that Neeson has. Even though the audience might know what to expect, it’s the combination of star power and the undemanding, easy watch that has probably contributed to its catapulting on Netflix.

Then there’s, of course, an algorithmic boost at play alongside new audience discovery and the comfort of a familiar genre. Honest Thief is the kind of movie that may not win many accolades, but it gets the job done for an immersive trip down the action lanes after a busy day, when brainstorming feels like a task.