The top ten films chart on Netflix often feature the biggest blockbusters and action flicks, but in the non-English category, the real gems peak out.
Society of the Snow has dominated the chart for two consecutive weeks, with 68.3million hours viewed, but it is the film that crawled up to the second spot from January 8th to 14th, 2024, that is the highlight for us now.
CJ7, directed by Stephen Chow, has amassed 3.8million hours viewed and secured a place in the top ten films in 18 countries on the streaming giant. Chow is the same guy who gave us the camp comedy Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle.
CJ7 blends science fiction and comedy and caters to a younger audience. Released in 2008, the film weaves a heartwarming tale centred around a poor father, Ti (played by Chow himself), and his young son, Dicky, portrayed by the talented Jiao Xu.
The story takes an unexpected turn when Ti discovers a mysterious orb in a junkyard, which he brings home for his son. Unbeknownst to them, the orb is actually a cute extraterrestrial creature with magical powers named CJ7. This adorable, otherworldly pet becomes the source of both joy and chaos in the father-son duo’s life.
Upon its initial release, CJ7 received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its innovative blend of genres and heartwarming narrative, while others found fault in its peculiar storyline. However, the film’s unique charm and Chow’s signature comedic style has its appeal.
Despite not being quite as iconic as Shaolin Soccer, CJ7 is cute in an absurd way. In a world dominated by big-budget blockbusters, you can give this offbeat sci-fi comedy a chance. It can always double as a babysitter because which kid won’t love the idea of an all-powerful alien puppy?
You can watch CJ7 on Netflix and catch the trailer here:
