Love him or loathe him, Adam Sandler has made a sturdy career from his own particular brand of comedy. The main problem, for those that reside in the loathing camp, is that most of the movies he makes aren’t very good. Sure, he’s had his moments, with The Wedding Singer being a particular highlight, along with other movies such as 50 First Dates and Happy Gilmore but let’s be honest here; he’s also had some real duds. His recent offering, Pixels, was almost universally panned by critics- in fact, our review called it “another shallow addition to Adam Sandler’s product line.”
Even so, Sandler has a huge fanbase and is a name that pulls audiences in. Whether it’s to laugh with him or at him is unclear, but Sandler is certainly having the last laugh; it’s rumored that he can command up to $20 million per movie, earning him the dubious title of most overpaid actor in Hollywood.
Back in October 2014, Sandler signed a deal with Netflix to produce and star in four original movies to premiere on the streaming channel. The financial details of the agreement were undisclosed, but it’s safe to assume he was paid handsomely for his commitment. At the time, despite Sandler’s popularity, the deal was still seen as somewhat of a gamble for Netflix, but it’s one that has paid off. Sandler’s first offering for the channel, The Ridiculous Six, has become the most-watched movie on Netflix in the first thirty days of release.
The Ridiculous Six, described by Netflix as a “broad satire of Western movies” stars Sandler along with Taylor Lautner (Twilight), Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigalow), Luke Wilson (Idiocracy), Terry Crews (The Expendables), and Jorge Garcia (Lost). The movie is written by Sandler with long-time collaborator Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer, Click).
Speaking during their keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show, Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos, gave the following quote about the movie’s success:
“The Ridiculous Six, by way of example, in the first 30 days on Netflix it’s been the most-watched movie in the history of Netflix. It’s also enjoyed a spot at number one in every territory we operate in, and in many of them it’s still number one.”
It’s quite a specific accolade. The Ridiculous Six is not Netflix’s most watched title in its history; rather it’s the movie with the most streams ever in the thirty days since release. Of course, it’s not known how many of those viewers watched the whole thing, or how many were just intrigued to see how Sandler’s career was progressing without having to pay out for a ticket to the movies. The real truth will out when Sandler’s second Netflix original movie, The Do Over, with David Spade, makes its debut, if Netflix chooses to disclose any viewing figures, that is.
The Ridiculous Six has been derided by critics; described as “lazy” “offensive” “aimless” and “must-avoid viewing.” It also holds a rare 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But what does Sandler or Netflix care? It seems that as long as Sandler keeps making movies, there’s an audience out there, somewhere, that wants to keep watching.
The Ridiculous Six is available for streaming on Netflix. Adam Sandler’s next film for the channel, The Do Over, is expected sometime in 2016.
