While Cobra Kai — the acclaimed Karate Kid franchise sequel series that began streaming its first two YouTube seasons on Netflix (and will premiere a new third season on the streaming platform in 2021) — dominated the Netflix TV series charts last this week, the number one movie for the week was more of a surprise.
The Frozen Ground, which opened in select theaters (but mostly went to VOD) in 2013, made a rather shocking debut on the Top 10 streamed movies for the week, landing at number one.
Perhaps this reflects the film’s headlining stars, Nicolas Cage and John Cusack, still holding some name value, or perhaps it’s the movie’s “based on a true story” serial killer story, but The Frozen Ground, which has been a Redbox DVD staple for years, won big according to FlixPatrol.
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2013/08/08/the-frozen-ground-trailer”]
In this fictionalized version of the capture of Alaskan serial killer Robert Hansen, Cage plays a State Trooper who teams with one of Hansen’s (Cusack) escaped victims (Vanessa Hudgens) to bring the monster down.
The Frozen Ground became available on Netflix on August 27 and immediately placed on in the Top 10, winding up in 9th place last week. This week, it rocketed up to the top – along with The Smurfs (premiered Sept 1) and Quantum of Solace (premiered Aug 31).
Our review of The Frozen Ground said the film “boasted strong performances from Nic Cage and John Cusack” atop a “bland and forgettable” script.
Cage was in the news recently, as he’s on tap to voice a hard-srinking Southern swamp dragon in a new Amazon series based on Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer’s book Highfire, while Cusack is set to star in Amazon’s U.S. remake of British series Utopia, which arrives in September.
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/18/amazons-utopia-season-1-official-trailer-2020-john-cusack-rainn-wilson”]
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.
Source: IGN.com Netflix's Number One Movie This Week is a Random Nicolas Cage Film from 2013