Paramount+ truly is an odd streaming service; for instance, it’s perhaps the only place where a totally undermarketed direct-to-digital title could outperform an all-time blockbuster. A situation like this is unfolding on the platform as we speak, with the underseen thriller film Night Hunter ranking above one of the greatest action films ever made, Top Gun: Maverick. Interestingly, the stars of both films — Henry Cavill and Tom Cruise — worked together in the sixth (and most successful) Mission: Impossible film, Mission: Impossible: Fallout.
According to FlixPatrol, Night Hunter was the third-most-watched title on Paramount+ on August 5, behind the action film Novocaine, and the Brazilian Oscar-winner I’m Still Here. In fourth place was Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick. Released in 2022, the movie was largely credited for having revived the theatrical marketplace after two years of turbulence. It went on to gross nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, and earned an Academy Award nomination in the Best Picture category. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Maverick was universally acclaimed, and currently holds a near-perfect 96% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.
Maverick‘s audience score on the website stands at an even higher 99%, while the critics’ consensus reads, “Top Gun: Maverick pulls off a feat even trickier than a 4G inverted dive, delivering a long-belated sequel that surpasses its predecessor in wildly entertaining style.” Cavill and Cruise had a memorable showdown in Fallout, directed by Christopher McQuarrie and released in 2018. The movie was just as well-received, and is currently sitting at a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fallout remains the highest-grossing film of the franchise, with a final global haul of nearly $800 million.
‘Night Hunter’ Features a Surprisingly Stacked Cast
Night Hunter, on the other hand, wasn’t as well received as either Maverick or Fallout. It holds a 14% score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Contrived and cliched, Night Hunter wastes a solid cast in pursuit of action-adventure thrills that stubbornly refuse to materialize.” The movie also features Alexandra Daddario, best known for her roles in True Detective and the first season of The White Lotus, alongside Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, Minka Kelly, and Nathan Fillion. You can watch the movie on Paramount+, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.