This Surprising Tom Cruise Action Film is a Top 10 Netflix Hit 15 Years Later

As a passionate cinephile, I’ve been thrilled to witness Cameron Diaz’s captivating comeback in the blockbuster Back in Action. This renewed interest has sent her previous partnership with Tom Cruise, the action-comedy gem Knight and Day, soaring on Netflix. In fact, it’s amassed over 5 million views this week, climbing up to the 8th spot on Netflix’s global movie chart! It seems that streaming audiences can’t get enough of Diaz, as her latest project has already racked up over 40 million views in its initial release days.

In the film titled “Knight and Day,” we meet June Havens (portrayed by Diaz), an ordinary woman whose life takes an extraordinary turn when she crosses paths with enigmatic agent Roy Miller (played by Cruise). Roy’s involvement in an international CIA operation unwittingly draws June into danger. The pair share a compelling bond, and as Roy navigates eliminating threats, he also shields June, who unknowingly becomes the target herself.

In this movie, titled “The World-Roaming Journey,” directed by James Mangold, we’re taken on a tour of breathtaking landscapes in Massachusetts, Spain, Austria, and Jamaica. The film primarily focuses on an innovative energy resource named the Zephyr, which draws interest from unscrupulous agents and global criminals, compelling our unusual duo to consistently outmaneuver their relentless pursuers.

In spite of boasting an impressive cast comprising Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Dano, Viola Davis, and a relatively unknown Gal Gadot, this movie garnered a mix of positive and negative feedback when it first hit the screens. Critics assigned it a moderate 51% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences were slightly less enthusiastic, giving it a score of 49%. Pete Uhlich from Time Out was particularly critical, bestowing just one star on the film, labeling it as “smug” and “callous.

Despite being just a commercial hit, the movie garnered global success, bringing in an estimated box office revenue of $262 million. Furthermore, its impact went beyond Hollywood borders, sparking a remake in Bollywood titled “Bang Bang!”, featuring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif on screen.

In a delightful turn of events, the film serves as a long-awaited team-up for Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, who last shared the screen in the gripping thriller “Vanilla Sky” almost a decade prior. Today, streaming enthusiasts can enjoy “Knight and Day” on both Netflix and Max, where its unique mix of action, romance, and humor continues to resonate with new viewers discovering it for the first time as well as those revisiting the exciting tale after fifteen years.

The director of the movie, Mangold, later became a significant player in the realm of action movies. He took charge of successful productions like The Wolverine, Logan, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and more recently, A Complete Unknown, which was nominated for an Oscar.

15 years after its initial release, Knight and Day on Netflix is drawing huge crowds once more, indicating that audiences continue to adore the chemistry between Cruise and Diaz. Although critics may have been indifferent towards the action-romance hybrid in 2010, the film’s streaming popularity suggests it has struck a chord with contemporary viewers who value its blend of global espionage, star appeal, and straightforward entertainment.

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2025-01-26 06:39