Netflix’s New #1 Movie Is Quite Old, But Reviews Are Great

Well, it’s happened again. Netflix brings in scores of licensed movies and shows all the time, and occasionally they rocket to the top of the service.

That’s what’s just happened with Instant Family, a film starring Rose Byrne and Mark Wahlberg in a comedy offering. I think he’s actually better in that genre than drama or action films.

Well, so do critics and fans as the movie has an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a nearly-identical 83% audience score. The catch here is that Instant Family has instantly debuted at #1 on Netflix despite being five years old, released in 2018. This happens, but not very often. Here’s the synopsis:

“When Pete and Ellie decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. They hope to take in one small child, but when they meet three siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl, they find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight. Now, Pete and Ellie must try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hope of becoming a family.”

Again, this is not a Netflix original so it was in fact released in theaters. It actually did quite well for what was undoubtedly a low-budget comedy, making $120 million worldwide which almost certainly surpassed its price. As such, I’m not terribly surprised that it’s doing well on Netflix here, as it also appeals to a wide swath of viewers looking for a comedy and seeing actors that they recognize.

The film it knocked out of the #1 slot in the top 10 was in fact a Netflix original, Vince Vaughn’s Nonnas, which has similar scores to Instant Family. In addition to Vaughn, it also stars Susan Sarandon and Lorraine Bracco. Also appearing at Linda Cardellini, Drea de Matteo and Joe Manganiello, who I believe you would all recognize even if you don’t know their names.

We’ll see if Instant Family stays on top for a while, but my guess it might, as I’m not sure what high-profile Netflix movies are going to be released soon. Though it can also be hard to predict what shoots to the top in the first place, as evidenced by the seven-year-old Instant Family here. If you haven’t already checked it out, it may be a solid family pick for the weekend.

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