Tom Cruise’s ‘Jack Reacher’ Is Back in the Streaming Top 10 and the Timing Is No Accident
Few action heroes have worn two faces as memorably as the drifter created by Lee Child. The first live action outing arrived in theaters in 2012 and became an instant action hit. It grossed more than $218 million and established the character as a notable action role for Tom Cruise.
Fast forward to today and the character is back in a big way on the small screen. The fourth season of the Prime Video series premiered on August 12, with the first three episodes followed by weekly releases through September 16. It adapts the thirteenth novel in the saga, ‘Gone Tomorrow.’
That renewed attention seems to be sending viewers back to the movie that started it all. On the latest streaming Top 10 movies chart, the ‘Jack Reacher’ movie sits at number four after just two days on the list, trailing ‘The Love Hypothesis’ at number one. For a film that is more than a decade old, that is a notable spot to land in.
It also fits a pattern. The original film previously climbed to number nine on the Prime Video’s Top 10 chart, showing that Cruise’s take on the former military investigator still holds up. Its sequel has also been reported among the most popular movies on the streamer, reaching the number seven spot.
Part of the appeal may be how approachable the first film is. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, it was described by critics as an above average crime thriller with a smoothly charismatic performance from Cruise, and it holds a 67 percent Tomatometer score. It can be streamed on services including Prime Video, Peacock and AMC+.
The sequel tells a different story, which makes the original look even stronger in hindsight. The follow up underperformed at the box office and scored just 37 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it predictable and uninspired. That contrast may explain why many viewers going back to Cruise’s era are starting with the first movie.
For fans of the series, there is also a fun comparison game to play. Alan Ritchson now carries the role in the Prime Video show, while Cruise remains the star who first brought the character to life, with very different results. With the Reacher name back on the charts from two directions at once, are you team Cruise or team Ritchson when it comes to the better Jack Reacher?
