Matt Damon’s Controversial $334M Action Movie Hits Netflix Top 10 8 Years Later

Matt Damon’s The Great Wall makes it onto the Netflix top 10 in the US. Released in 2016, The Great Wall is a Yimou Zhang film about a group of European mercenaries who head to China to help out a secret army who helps maintain and defend the Great Wall from fantastical enemies. In addition to Damon, The Great Wall featured a leading cast including Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal, Tian Jing, Andy Lau, Hanyu Zhang, Han Lu, and Kenny Lin.

Now, The Great Wall makes it onto the Netflix top 10 in the United States. The Great Wall came in no. 4 on the list for the week of April 29 to May 5. Topping the list this week were Anyone But You (no. 1), The Judge (no. 2), and Unfrosted (no. 3). The list contained a wide variety, including two animated films in Shrek (no. 7) and Smurfs: The Lost Village (no. 8).

How Was The Great Wall Received At the Time of Its Release?

The Great Wall caused controversy upon its release in 2016. This was primarily due to the fact that it promoted a seemingly white savior narrative. Others felt that the film whitewashed the cast, as it made a fictionalized story with three European men in the lead roles, decentering the narrative of the Chinese cast members. Damon has spoken out against this criticism, noting that it is a fictional story and that he did not take a role away from any Chinese actors in order to play his part in the film.

In addition to its controversy, The Great Wall received largely poor reviews. Among Rotten Tomatoes critics, the film had a 35% Tomatometer, and only a slightly higher 42% among audiences. This score was particularly notable given that its director, Zhang, is an internationally acclaimed auteur. His films Hero and House of the Flying Daggers are both beloved works, receiving 94% and 87% Rotten Tomatoes scores, respectively.

The controversy and reviews for The Great Wall led to a rocky box office path for the film. Made on a whopping $150 million budget, The Great Wall brought in $334.9 million worldwide. A total like this puts the film at or under the break-even point of 2x and 2.5x the budget. Considered in tandem with the Rotten Tomatoes scores and backlash, The Great Wall can be considered a huge flop in Damon’s career. The film may be getting a second wind on Netflix, but that is unlikely to change this reputation.

Source: Netflix

The Great Wall

The Great Wall is a 2016 action-adventure film starring Matt Damon, who helps defend the Great Wall of China from a horde of monsters. The Great Wall received mixed to negative reviews upon release and was criticized for falling into the white savior narrative. Also starring in the movie are Tian Jing, Willem DaFoe, and Andy Lau.

Director

Yimou Zhang

Release Date

February 17, 2017

Studio(s)

Legendary Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Legendary Entertainment

Writers

Tony Gilroy , Doug Miro , Carol Bernard

Runtime

103minutes

Budget

$150 million

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