Every Ryan Reynolds Netflix Movie Ranked From Worst To Best
The release of The Adam Project marks the third collaboration between movie star Ryan Reynolds and Netflix, and here are each of them ranked from worst to best. The Reynolds vehicle also marks another partnership between the Canadian superstar and director Shawn Levy, after the pair came together for the highly acclaimed meta-comedy Free Guy. However, while The Adam Project has enjoyed a generally favorable critical reception, it's fair to say that not all of Reynolds' Netflix releases have been as warmly received.
After being cast as the lead in comedies like National Lampoon's Van Wilder and Waiting..., Reynolds became known for playing wisecracking sarcastic characters. While he has continued this screen persona, the actor has also become established in the action genre, beginning with a supporting performance as Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, the final installment of the Marvel comics film adaptations. Ryan Reynolds has played many superhero roles since, with mixed results. While Green Lantern was a notorious failure that the actor has since been used as a punchline in interviews, Reynolds reached new levels of fame with the success of the Deadpool film franchise. While Reynolds solidified his screen persona with popular theatrically released studio films, his collaborations with Netflix have proved to be some of the streaming service's most popular releases. Netflix often picks up films intended to be distributed theatrically by studios, with great success. Though critical reception for these films has not always been stellar, the impact of Red Notice on Netflix proved this doesn’t necessarily matter to audiences when choosing something to watch on the streaming service.
The star power of Ryan Reynolds has proven to be sufficient enough for movies to earn some impressive viewing figures. That said, there's no doubt that some of Ryan Reynolds' Netflix films are more successful than others. Though each belongs to slightly different genres, they all have Reynolds giving performances that mix the elements of action and wisecracking humor the actor is best known for. Here is every Ryan Reynolds Netflix film, ranked from worst to best.
Despite boasting an impressive collection of talent both in front and behind the camera, Red Notice is considered by many to be one of the most disappointing releases in recent memory. Narrative inconsistencies, a questionable script and indifferent performances from the likes of Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot mean that Red Notice is ultimately less than the sum of its parts. As well as a nonsensical plot, Red Notice looks cheap despite its budget, which was ironically the most expensive in Netflix history at $200 million. For all its flaws, however, the viewing figures for Red Notice on Netflix were incredibly high – though the star power of Reynolds and co-stars Johnson and Gadot is likely responsible for this success, even with poor critical reception.
Red Notice combines action-adventure in a similar manner to Indiana Jones with a double-crossing heist narrative reminiscent of the Ocean’s Eleven franchise. The globe-trotting caper also seeks to capitalize on a buddy action dynamic between Reynolds’ renowned art thief character Nolan Booth and Johnson’s FBI agent John Hartley, drawing to mind the dynamic Reynolds had with Samuel L. Jackson in The Hitman’s Bodyguard. The odd couple must join forces to take down another thief known as The Bishop (Gadot), though there are a series of twists along the way. All three stars have agreed to return for back-to-back sequels, which raises the possibility that Red Notice 2 can be much better than the uninspired first film. For the time being, however, the original film remains a real let-down for genre fans.
Directed by action blockbuster behemoth Michael Bay, 6 Underground features a collection of competently shot special effects sequences and stunt work. Unfortunately, as a result of questionable editing decisions, the end result feels incredibly incoherent and occasionally illogical, compromising the movie's overall impact. Along with repeatedly halting the narrative for flashback sequences, 6 Underground often takes itself far too seriously, while also leaning heavily on one-liners delivered by Ryan Reynolds. Although 6 Underground was a success for Netflix, many viewers felt that Michael Bay’s signature "Bayhem" spectacle would have worked better on a big screen.
Along with a convoluted non-chronological plot structure, featuring Reynolds' billionaire philanthropist and a team of vigilantes, Michael Bay’s 6 Underground has confusing politics. As with many of the director’s films, there is a greater focus on the visual spectacle than a coherent story. Even the effective action sequences aren’t enough to make up for the film’s shortcomings and plans for a sequel were quickly abandoned. As a result, while 6 Underground certainly features some impressive elements, the movie as a whole falls short of both Bay's and Reynolds' other work.
Ryan Reynolds reteamed with Free Guy director Shawn Levy for the sci-fi action comedy, The Adam Project. The time travel narrative features Reynolds as Adam Reed, a time pilot who takes an unsanctioned journey into the past to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of his wife (Zoe Saldaña). When Reed accidentally travels to the wrong year, he is forced to rely on the help of his 12-year-old self (played by Walker Scobell) to save his wife and set the future on the right path. The Adam Project borrows heavily from time travel films like Back to the Future and several other sci-fi fantasy films from the 1980s. Even if the narrative is a bit derivative, The Adam Project is crowd-pleasingly good-natured and highly watchable, with a strong supporting cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, and Catherine Keener.
The Adam Project isn’t a perfect film, but it is easily the best of Ryan Reynold’s Netflix collaborations. Even though it often feels like a mash-up of better movies, this will probably go unnoticed by younger viewers. Audiences are more likely to notice the ensemble cast includes actors best known for playing characters in Marvel films, including Deadpool, Hulk, Gamora, and Elektra. A meta-joke in The Adam Project referencing Deadpool draws even more attention to the fact that Reynolds tends to play the same roles in nearly every film. For many audience members, however, this is likely to be a selling point rather than a shortcoming of The Adam Project. Even though no plans for a sequel have been made, The Adam Project 2 has more promise than follow-up films for either 6 Underground or Red Notice.