The Ryan Gosling thriller racing up the Netflix charts
Genre fare and Ryan Gosling have never really gone hand-in-hand, but thanks to the bulletproof popularity of big stars on Netflix, one of his more successful ventures in crowd-pleasing entertainment has been enjoying a second wind on streaming.
There’s no denying that Gosling is one of his generation’s finest actors, but whenever he decides to take the plunge and appear in a broader film that relies on spectacle, set pieces, or cinematic sleight of hand to succeed, the results haven’t been great.
Of course, Barbie would be the elephant in the room, but it’s also the exception that proves the rule. Gosling took top billing in Blade Runner 2049, The Nice Guys, and The Fall Guy, all of which were entertaining and enjoyable movies that nonetheless flopped at the box office.
Gangster Squad was another notable bust, with The Gray Man being a classic Netflix action epic that draws in huge viewing figures for a few weeks before vanishing into the cultural ether, never to be spoken of again. However, when he lent his name to a twisty legal thriller that gave him the opportunity to spar with the legendary Anthony Hopkins, the end result was nothing but a huge win.
Directed by Primal Fear‘s Gregory Hoblit, 2007’s Fracture stars Gosling as a brash hotshot lawyer preparing to make a career change from criminal prosecution to a private firm. However, when Hopkins’ wealthy engineer shoots his wife after discovering she’s been having an affair, a cut-and-tried attempted murder charge proves to be anything but.
Despite the evidence appearing insurmountable at first glance, Hopkins’ Ted Crawford shows himself to be a wily operator. Opting to represent himself in court and effortlessly extricating himself from his predicament, he walks free before engaging in an increasingly dangerous game of cat and mouse with Gosling’s Willy Beachum.
Packed full of twists, turns, and misdirection, Fracture is the sort of legal thriller existing in a semi-heightened reality that audiences can never seem to get enough of, which was reflected when the $10million movie recouped its budget more than nine times over at the global box office.
17 years after its release, Fracture has gained a new lease of life as a fresh addition to the Netflix content library, becoming one of the most-watched titles in Ireland. Gosling and Hopkins make for a compelling central pair, and watching the two powerhouses of their respective eras pit their wits against each other makes it well worth checking out.