It’s not uncommon for older releases to resurface and climb the Netflix viewership charts, especially if it happens to be an action flick featuring dashing yesteryear superstars like Pierce Brosnan.
One such film that’s lately been making waves on Netflix is The Misfits, a high-octane heist action movie directed by Renny Harlin and co-written by Robert Henny and Kurt Wimmer.
Despite being lambasted by a box office bomb, this star-studded 2021 film is now enjoying renewed attention, earning the sixth spot on Netflix’s US top ten films chart.
Starring Brosnan, Rami Jaber, Hermione Corfield, Jamie Chung, Mike Angelo, Tim Roth, Nick Cannon, and Qais Qandil, The Misfits sees Brosnan taking the lead as the charismatic and cunning Richard Pace. Pace is an internationally known thief on the run who joins a group of righteous thieves who call themselves The Misfits, and together, they plan on pulling off the greatest heist ever.
Is this the most controversial Pierce Brosnan heist film of all time?
Pierce Brosnan is no stranger to picking up objectively terrible films that require nothing but hamming. But the journey of The Misfits has been quite the rollercoaster. Originally released in South Korea on June 3rd, 2021, and subsequently in the United States on June 11th, 2021, The Misfits struggled to significantly impact the box office. Its initial release was met with several negative reviews.
The Misfits also earned nominations in the 2022 Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Director (Renny Harlin), Worst Supporting Actor (Nick Cannon), and Worst Screenplay (credited to Robert Henny and Kurt Wimmer, with a story by Robert Henny).
However, The Misfits’ controversy extends beyond its reception, particularly in Qatar. The film has faced criticism for its portrayal of Qatar, with references to “terror” financing and explicit mentions of the Muslim Brotherhood as “terrorists,” who were orchestrated by Yusuf al-Qaradawi in the film. This sensitive subject matter stirred debate and led to discussions about the film’s financing by an Emirati production company. Given the historical tensions between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the film’s story has only added fuel to the fire.
But The Misfits is now finding a second wind on Netflix US, proving once again that even a critically panned film can find a new audience as long as it can find a platform.
