Boys in the Boat Becomes a Streaming Hit Despite Failing at the Box Office

Summary

• The Boys in the Boat
  struggled in theaters but is now a top 10 most-viewed film among major streamers.
• The film tells the inspiring true story of the 1936 University of Washington rowing team.
• Despite mixed reviews and low box office earnings, the film’s positive message resonated well with audiences.

The historical drama The Boys in the Boat failed to find an audience when it opened in theaters during the 2023 Christmas season, but streaming has given the film a much-deserved second life. According to the website Reelgood, the George Clooney-directed film is now among the top ten most viewed films on major streamers, standing alongside hit films like Godzilla Minus One and Dune Part Two.

Through the first week of June, The Boys in the Boat, which is available on Prime Video, ranked as the sixth most-watched film on all streaming. It ranked ahead of recent hit films, including The Iron Claw, while the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One was the most-watched film during the period. Prime Video has highlighted the film on their streaming app as an exclusive offering, boosting the movie’s visibility among potential viewers.

Based on the best-selling novel by Daniel James Brown, The Boys in the Boat recounts the real-life exploits of the University of Washington men’s rowing team, who overcame incredible odds at the height of the Depression to compete in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, against Adolf Hitler’s German team.

In an exclusive interview with Movieweb, Clooney said he felt it was a “good time” to do an uplifting film that celebrated the triumph of the human spirit. “We’ve all just been through such hell from the pandemic,” he said, stating the film reinforced the idea that “We actually like each other [and] should remind ourselves that we’re better off together.”

Audiences and Critics Weigh In on The Boys in the Boat

Amazon/MGM released the film on Christmas Day, hoping it would be their entry in the Oscars race. However, film critics were not kind to the film, and it managed only a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Dulcie Pearce of The Sun (UK) called the film a “mediocre melodrama that is so schmaltzy and sickly sweet, it left me feeling seasick.”

Despite the mediocre reviews, moviegoers loved the film, giving it a 97% rating on the same site. Most of the positive reviews focused on the strong characters and the underdog story that plays like a throwback to classic Hollywood films.

Even good word-of-mouth and an A-list director wasn’t enough to make the film a hit at the box office, however, as it earned only $55 million worldwide against a $40 million reported budget. With its release to streaming, however, the film is finally getting the attention it deserves.

To learn more about The Boys in the Boat, check out this Movieweb interview with Daniel James Brown, author of the book the film is based on.