One of my favorite Netflix trends is when theatrically released movies that almost no one saw in theaters suddenly show up on the service’s top 10 list. The latest example of this phenomenon is The Infiltrator, a 2016 biographical crime drama about a U.S. Customs special agent who helped bust Pablo Escobar’s money-laundering organization in the 1980s.
Per the logline from Broad Green Pictures, “The Infiltrator is the thrilling true-life story of Special Agent Robert ‘Bob’ Mazur, responsible for bringing down the drug cartels and their bankers alike, in one of history’s most audacious stings.”
Bryan Cranston plays Robert Mazur, with Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo, Saïd Taghmaoui, Joe Gilgun, and Amy Ryan alongside him in supporting roles.
“I admit I was a little concerned because I was 36 to 38 years old when I did this operation and Bryan’s not 36 to 38 years old!” said the real Bob Mazur about the casting of Cranston. “But his talent is so huge, that age became a complete non-issue.”
Despite mostly positive reviews from critics (72% on Rotten Tomatoes), The Infiltrator was a box office bomb, generating $22 million in theaters against the reported budget of $28 to $47 million. For whatever reason, audiences simply weren’t interested in this particular crime thriller, but it’s now finding a second life on Netflix, as many other forgotten films have.
“This is a summer movie for grownups, the kind that reminds you how gratifying it can be to sit down uninterrupted and watch actors work on the big screen,” wrote Time. “It’s distinguished by its craft and verve,” said NPR in its 2016 review.
The Infiltrator is currently #6 on Netflix’s Top 10 Movies in the U.S. Today chart.
