Back in 2022, the director of X-Men and creator of Star Wars Rebels, Simon Kinberg, unleashed an action spy thriller into the world that, for all intents and purposes, should have been a major hit. It had all the ingredients necessary, including a competent director, star-studded cast, nifty hook, and the backing of Universal Pictures. Sadly, it made just $27.8 million against a budget of $75 million, but now, three years later, some of those losses are being recouped thanks to The 355 being a streaming hit on Netflix.
Starring Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong'o, The 355 is about a group of international female spies from different intelligence agencies who team up to stop World War III. It takes its name from Agent 355, which was the moniker for a female spy during the American Revolution who is widely regarded as one of the first women to ever be involved in espionage. With such a stacked ensemble cast and killer premise, you'd think that Kinberg's film would be a sure moneymaker, but unfortunately, poor marketing, a January release, and lack of interest in a female-centric spy thriller derailed The 355, leading to it making just $4.6 million during its opening weekend.
Now, three years after its theatrical release, The 355 is finding redemption, so to speak, thanks to Netflix. It's been bouncing around the Top 10 since it was added to the streamer on August 21, and currently sits in the #8 spot, sandwiched between Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, and Despicable Me 2. While it's certainly not the ideal result for a movie that once showed such promise, we suspect Kinberg and company will take what they can get with this one, as at least it's finally finding the audience it was sorely lacking during the movie's theatrical run.
'The 355' Was a Certified Dud
Released on January 7, 2022, The 355 was DOA with critics, who panned the film for being nothing more than a cheap, generic spy thriller that relied on tired tropes rather than bringing anything new to the table. Certified Rotten on Rotten Tomatoes with just a 24% rating, M.N. Miller wrote, "Here's the 411 on The 355 - it's a bloated bore." Ouch. It can't get much worse than that, right? According to critic Tessa Smith, it can:
"This movie might have an incredible cast, but that doesn't save it from being completely mediocre, very forgettable, and honestly, a bit dull."
Despite the negative reviews from critics though, The 355 has an audience score of 86%, signifying that the film apparently has its fans. One RT user said it "gives a Jason Bourne on estrogen kind of vibe," while another called it "kind of what Ocean's 8 wanted to be." We don't know about that, but superfan Michelle W was another who had nothing but good things to say about the film, writing:
"Super fun, amazing to have an all-female main cast who kick ass. The stunt work and action sequences looked great, with some clever scenes. I adore Jessica Chastain. She chooses stories where women are empowered, which I greatly appreciate. Critics reviews - I don't agree on this one ya all."
You can judge things for yourself and see if you agree with the critics, or the audience, as The 355 is streaming now on Netflix.
Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Like Follow Followed The 355 PG-13 Action Thriller Release Date January 7, 2022 Runtime 124minutes Director Simon Kinberg Writers Simon Kinberg, Theresa Rebeck Cast See All Edgar Ramirez Leo Staar Diane Kruger Lupita Nyong'o
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