Maximus in Gladiator, however, that arguably remains his most iconic part.

The early '00s saw Crowe frequently playing more traditionally heroic characters and this would largely continue in subsequent years, but there were also some outliers. He played a violent and yet charming criminal in 3:10 to Yuma (2007) and Henry Jekyll in The Mummy (2017). Jekyll had marked one of Crowe's most outwardly villainous roles at the time, and it ended up setting the stage for an even darker and more sinister performance a few years later.

Unhinged Becomes A Major Netflix Success

Viewers Are Loving The Russell Crowe Thriller

Unhinged features Crowe starring simply as Man, an unstable commuter who targets Rachel (Caren Pistorius) after a road rage incident. Released in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film wasn't a major box office success, grossing just $44 million on an estimated budget of $33 million.

With a $33 million budget, Unhinged may have been looking at a break-even point of between $66 million and $82.5 million.

New data from Netflix now reveals that Unhinged ranks as the eighth most popular movie globally on the streamer for the week of October 14 – 20. The thriller racked up an impressive 7.9 million hours viewed with 5.2 million views in total. Unhinged manages to beat titles like Jurassic World Dominion (2022) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), but falls behind others like The Predator (2018), Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), and Sing (2016), with Lonely Planet (2024) in the top position. Check out the full top 10 list below:

Our Take On Unhinged's Netflix Success

How Crowe's Film Fared With Critics & Audiences

Unhinged's reviews may not have been glowing, with the film currently featuring a lackluster 48% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, but it nonetheless represents an interesting shift for Crowe. It is arguably his most dastardly character yet, and he's truly frightening as a random stranger who targets an innocent woman due to an unlucky traffic incident. One idea that the film plays with is that such an encounter could truly happen to anyone, and that's part of why it's so frightening.

The film fared somewhat better with audiences, sporting a 77% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, and there's certainly some fun to be had with this pulpy thriller. The premise is straightforward and there are some great moments of tension throughout, and Crowe's wild role is undoubtedly part of why the film is achieving streaming success. Unhinged's ending also escalates to some extreme acts of violence. While not likely to be mentioned as one of the best movies of Crowe's filmography, Unhinged still displays an interesting new side to the actor and makes for a fun popcorn thriller.

Other notable movies by Unhinged director Derrick Borte include 2009's The Joneses and 2016's London Town.

Since starring in Unhinged, the lead actor has not had any villain roles that have matched up to the level of realism and suspense as this movie. His next major antagonist role will be as Nikolai Kravenoff in the cast of Kraven the Hunter, although it's unclear just how major a role he'll have in the film. Because of his minimal appearances as a villain in recent years, the thriller's Netflix re-release offered something new for Crowe after a number of heroic portrayals throughout his career.

Read More About Unhinged

The Action Thriller Doesn't Let Up

While the movie often portrays itself as a grounded, realistic portrayal of road rage gone wrong, cast of Unhinged is portrayed, with characters taking on archetypal roles for the story being told. However, it's unique thanks to Crowe's threatening performance and the way his intriguing antagonist is explored.

While there are plenty of crime thriller Bear Country. Since Unhinged is growing in success on Netflix, it could indicate the potential for even stronger villain roles Crowe can take in the future.

Source: Netflix