One of the most viewed films on Netflix in the U.S. at this moment is a suspenseful narrative set in Manhattan, featuring Brittany Murphy and Michael Douglas, that premiered shortly after the 9/11 attacks. “Don’t Say a Word,” directed by Gary Fleder, is presently ranked #6 on Netflix in the U.S., conveying the tale of a psychiatrist and father (Douglas) whose daughter (Murphy) is a distressed psychiatric patient harboring a secret that a merciless group of abductors is pursuing.
This film, which is nearing a quarter-century old now, aligns with a Netflix trend that could be written about nearly every day. Essentially, the movies category behaves quite differently from Netflix’s television offerings, such that older, acquired films — like “Don’t Say a Word,” which recently arrived on the streaming platform — often perform, at the very least, on par with Netflix’s most prominent films. Furthermore, as this latest addition illustrates, they occasionally secure spots on the Top 10 movies list.
Don’t Say a Word is experiencing a resurgence on Netflix
While our sister site Looper highlights the film as showcasing one of Murphy’s finest performances, it should be noted that the film was not well received by either critics or audiences upon its initial release. “Don’t Say a Word,” adapted from the book of the same title by Andrew Klavan, currently holds a dismal 23% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes (derived from 113 critiques) and a 49% audience score (from over 50,000 user reviews). “‘Don’t Say A Word’ is polished and well-made, yet the film feels formulaic and often stretches believability with many eye-rolling instances,” reads the critics’ consensus summary on the review aggregation site.
That being said, it’s evident that the reason behind the current Netflix performance is new viewers discovering and forming their own opinions about the film — which is just a few positions behind “KPop Demon Hunters,” ranked #3 on the Netflix Top 10 movies list in the U.S. (the latter also being Netflix’s most significant original movie). “Extremely well written and directed,” commended one Rotten Tomatoes viewer, after “Don’t Say a Word” made its way to Netflix. “Excellent cinematography. Abundant suspense, mystery, drama, intrigue, and plot twists. Incredible performances from the entire cast, all very believable in their roles. Very memorable and highly recommended.”
