Action movie star Gal Gadot first hit the ground running with popular franchises like Wonder Woman and The Fast and the Furious, but recent years have not been kind. Though no fault of her own, bad luck seems to follow the actor from the controversy surrounding Death on the Nile and her cursed upcoming film, Cleopatra. She has not fared better in her Netflix films, most recently the spy thriller Heart of Stone. Netflix has long been consumed with passionless action movies, a category which Heart of Stone regrettably falls into.
Gadot stars as the titular Rachel Stone, an intelligence officer who predictably runs into a mission gone wrong and has to stop AI from falling into the wrong hands. We Got This Covered’s review of the film making connections to Mission Impossible 7 – Dead Reckoning AI is more than fair. Clocking in at 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film could have no hopes of measuring up to Tom Cruise (did you know he does his own stunts?) But though the film contains a mediocre story and uninspired characters, Netflix’s viewers did not seem to get the memo. Heart of Stone made Netflix’s Top 10, which continues to be an example of baffling viewer trends.
Gadot’s film Red Notice – another Netflix spy caper – was also less than exemplary and still had audiences gathering around the television. That fact in itself may be an explanation for why Netflix puts all its eggs in the boring egg basket. When subscriptions are Netflix’s major source of revenue, they naturally rely on bankable actors with a familiar premise. Different from actively seeking out and paying for tickets to watch in a theater, Heart of Stone’s secret weapon may be that it is predictable. Families can mindlessly switch on the streaming platform and not pay attention too much. They see familiar faces and can follow the plot without much consideration. Netflix has found its sweet spot, and it is unlikely to change its tune.
However, this doesn’t fare well for the future of cinema. Netflix signaled the first death rattle in the downturn of theaters. It was only a matter of time before actors and writers had to take to the streets with picket signs to beg studios to treat them decently. As streaming continues, films that many viewers are excited about may continue to suffer. That includes Gadot’s tenure as Wonder Woman, which has been on thin ice since James Gunn and Joshua Safran took over DC. Despite Gadot’s hope that she will continue to be the face of Diana of Themyscira, it looks less and less likely. Gunn may not be interested in making Wonder Woman 3, and recasting Superman makes the odds look even worse. Hopefully, Heart of Stone isn’t a bleak look into Gadot’s future.
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