We could obtain a fee on purchases created from hyperlinks.
At one level, Will Smith was the largest film star on this planet. Whereas he had a little bit of a PR snafu (to place it flippantly) a few years in the past when he slapped Chris Rock on stage on the Oscars, he is recovered effectively within the eyes of the general public, given the success of this yr’s “Unhealthy Boys: Journey or Die” on the field workplace. Margot Robbie, in the meantime, is about as large as trendy stars get, together with her rise to stardom culminating in final yr’s mega-hit “Barbie.” So, what occurs while you put these two large stars in a film collectively? You get a primary hit on Netflix. It simply so occurs that the film in query was made practically a decade in the past.
2015’s “Focus,” directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, just lately made its strategy to Netflix and immediately shot to the highest of the most-watched film charts. As of this writing, the movie is sitting firmly within the primary spot on Netflix, above different motion pictures such because the Netflix unique “Meet Me Subsequent Christmas” and 2022’s rom-com success “The Misplaced Metropolis.” It is the most recent instance of a studio film that had seemingly been forgotten by a lot of most of the people discovering new life on Netflix. It is at all times attention-grabbing to see these motion pictures rise above streaming originals, given the assets that Netflix and different corporations pour into their very own initiatives.
For many who have not seen it or maybe simply want a refresher, “Focus” facilities on Nicky (Smith), a seasoned grifter who turns into romantically concerned with a novice con artist, Jess (Robbie). As he is instructing her what he is aware of, she will get too shut and he decides to interrupt it off. Three years later, she exhibits up once more as Nicky is in the midst of his newest, harmful scheme, throwing the knowledgeable con man off his recreation.
Practically a decade later, Focus looks like an enormous deal
When this movie hit theaters in 2015, it was a comparatively modest success. Towards a reported $50 million price range, “Focus” pulled in $159 million on the world field workplace. It wasn’t the barn burner that Smith has usually been related to in his profession, which is probably why it was considered as a so-so success in its day. However a decade later, the concept of an unique, adult-focused dramedy like this doing that sort of enterprise feels virtually particular. At present, a lot of these motion pictures largely fall into three classes: They get made for streaming, they fail to seek out their viewers in theaters, or they do not get made in any respect.
It is also an attention-grabbing time capsule of kinds because it represents a turning level for each of those A-list stars. The next yr, each Smith and Robbie would star alongside each other in David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad,” which pulled in practically $750 million worldwide regardless of incomes fairly horrible critiques. That is necessary as a result of Smith was coming off a little bit of a tough patch in his profession, which included flops like “After Earth” and “Winter’s Story.” He wanted a success, and teaming with Robbie, he received two.
As for Robbie, she shocked in an enormous manner in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Avenue” in 2013, which was simply her second main movie function. “Focus” was her follow-up, and it confirmed that she may maintain her personal alongside an enormous star like Smith, simply as she had accomplished with Leonardo DiCaprio. That helped arrange an enormous run for her that included different hits like “I, Tonya,” “Peter Rabbit,” and “As soon as Upon a Time in Hollywood.” All of it culminated with “Barbie,” which now ranks as one of many greatest motion pictures in historical past.
Taking all of that under consideration, it is not shocking that audiences are very eager about seeing Smith and Robbie in a film collectively, even when that film is way from new. Given what’s occurred within the years since “Focus” first got here out, it feels rather more important than it did on the time.
“Focus” is streaming now on Netflix, or you possibly can seize a duplicate of the film on Blu-ray by way of Amazon.