Fans praise ‘underrated’ Viggo Mortensen forgotten classic as it tops Netflix film chart-Laura Harman-Entertainment – Metro

Viggo Mortensen stars in Netflix’s hit film A History of Violence (Picture: Warner Bros)

Netflix has recently acquired A History of Violence, and fans are loving this ‘underrated’ classic that’s found an audience almost two decades after its initial release.

Netflix has been the place to go to find either forgotten classics or movies that didn’t get the praise they deserved upon their initial release.

Failure to Launch was a hugely panned 00s romcom with an A-list cast that became a global hit on the streaming platform 18 years after it was initially released.

Similarly, JoyRide starring Olivia Colman fans left ‘sobbing’ after the ‘silly little comedy’ turned out to be a hidden gem. The film was initially released in 2021, but many viewers had never heard of it until it made its way onto the streaming platform.

A History of Violence is a crime drama that has recently gained the attention of fans after being acquired by Netflix.

The 2005 movie stars Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt who was nominated for an Academy Award following the release of the film.

The film was praised by reviewers with Rotten Tomatoes giving the movie an 88% rating with a critics consensus that reads: ‘A History of Violence raises compelling and thoughtful questions about the nature of violence, while representing a return to form for director David Cronenberg in one of his more uncharacteristic pieces.’

The film focuses on a small-town diner owned (Mortensen) who makes headlines after stopping a robbery in his diner and is lauded as a local hero.

However with this newfound fame comes a new threat, and when his family is put in danger, he must confront his violent past.

Fans love this noughties hit film (Picture: Warner Bros.)

Ed Harris was praised for his performance (Picture: Warner Bros.)

The movie was a huge hit in 2005, but 19 years later the piece has become a forgotten piece which has been thoroughly praised by fans.

‘It’s quite telling that a 20-year-old film is the number 1 movie on UK Netflix. A History Of Violence is an intimate and thought-provoking look at violence in all its forms. It’s a flawed, but great movie that works on so many levels,’ My_pow said on social media.

‘Lashed “A History of Violence” on as its back on Netflix So f**king underrated,’ commented Andrew_Heaton on X.

The budget for the thriller film was $32million (Picture: Warner Bros)

‘Watching “A history of violence” on Netflix UK which can lay claim to having one of the best Netflix libraries in the world. I’m on KIN season 2 as well. Brilliant show,’ said Huk06.

‘A History of Violence has just landed on Netflix – If you haven’t watched it, you should. Opening scene makes you think it’s one thing, but it soon becomes something very different. Great performance from Viggo Mortensen and a refreshingly tight 95 minute runtime,’ RiyadEmeran added.

The film made $61 million at the box office (Picture: Warner Bros)

Although Netflix has been impressing fans by unearthing some hidden gems, the platform has also created some original series and films that have been met with huge success.

Netflix’s Maid starring Margaret Qualley and Supacell which gained 12 million views in one week, are just two of the impressive offerings from the platform.

A History of Violence is available to watch now on Netflix.

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