Shia LaBeouf movie with near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score climbs Netflix chart

Ever since dropping on Netflix, a 2019 movie starring Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson has been climbing the top 10 charts — and it’s not surprising given its near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. 

Normally, when older movies hit the streaming service’s charts, it’s in spite of their critical or commercial failures. For instance, the widely panned Mel Gibson flick On the Line enjoyed a new life on Netflix, and the same goes for the forgotten Pedro Pascal film The Great Wall.

However, in the case of The Peanut Butter Falcon, the indie flick performed well in both areas when it dropped in 2019. As well as earning $23 million against a $6 million budget, it received a respective 96% and 95% rating from audiences and critics on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The directorial debut from Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz landed on Netflix on May 5, and it’s already raced to sixth place. You can see the full top 10 movies list as it currently stands below: 

1. Shrek
2. Unfrosted
3. The Judge
4. One More Shot
5. Shrek Forever After
6. The Peanut Butter Falcon
7. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
8. The Great Wall
9. The Equalizer
10. Blended

The Peanut Butter Falcon is a modern-day retelling of Huckleberry Finn, centering on Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down’s syndrome who lives in a nursing home but dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. 

One night, Zak decides to escape from the facility to pursue his dream. Along the way, he encounters Tyler (LaBeouf), a small-time outlaw on the run, and the two form an unlikely bond as they embark on a journey together.

As they travel through the picturesque landscapes of North Carolina, Zak and Tyler encounter various challenges and adventures. Meanwhile, a kind social worker named Eleanor (Johnson) sets out to find Zak, but when she catches up to them and learns the truth, she joins them on their quest. 

Among the many positive reviews, the key highlight is that The Peanut Butter Falcon feels touching and heartwarming, yet never contrived or corny. The cast also received praise, particularly Gottsagen’s performance as the lead character. 

“The role was written specifically for him after writer-directors Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz were floored by his talent at a camp for actors with disabilities,” wrote the Guardian. “Gottsagen delivers on that promise with an emotionally persuasive performance that anchors this backwater yarn.”

Elsewhere, Empire said, “This is LaBeouf at his best, stripped down to his bare elements and bookended by two luminous performances from Gottsagen and Johnson. A lightly flawed script may lack Huckleberry Finn epicness, but warms the heart with its parental tenderness.”

For more movies, check out all of the new flicks headed to streaming this month, as well as our roundup of the best films of 2024 so far.