This 2019 Action Movie Was a Box Office Disappointment — Now It’s a Streaming Hit

Black & Blue has climbed to No. 7 on Netflix's current "10 Most Popular Movies" list, marking a huge success for the mid-budget action movie after its disappointing box office run in 2019.

Directed by Deon Taylor and starring Naomie Harris, Frank Grillo, and Tyrese Gibson, the film centers around an ambitious female police officer who is forced to go on the run after she witnesses her colleagues commit an unjust murder.

Despite opening to strong reviews, Black & Blue was a moderate commercial disappointment. The film was made on a reported budget of $12 million and pulled in roughly $22.7 million at the worldwide box office, making it unlikely to have even broken even (via Box Office Mojo).

However, the film seems to have found a brand new audience on Netflix. Black & Blue was added to the streamer's catalog on April 2—and it's already climbing the Top 10 charts.

It currently sits at No. 7, just behind 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple—coincidentally, another major box office disappointment. This perfectly highlights the ability of major streamers like Netflix to give a second wind to projects that didn't get their due success upon release.

In spite of all the commercial disappointment, Black & Blue impressed several critics thanks to its sharp social commentary and real-world relevance. Taylor's film explores the dangerous issue of police corruption, discussing the inherent trust that we place in the instituion and interrogating whether this is justified.

It's a powerful story about staying true to what's right and not simply taking the path that's easy, and Naomie Harris explores this moral conflict perfectly through her lead performance.

While critics' rating aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes are typically mixed (currently sitting at 49%), the much higher audience score of 93% is a clearer indicator of why Black & Blue is performing so well on Netflix. It's an obvious hit with viewers, and its powerful message is clearly leaving an impact.