From his Oscar-nominated performances in movies like Marriage Story and BlacKkKlansman to his iconic role as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Adam Driver has established himself as a major movie star, but not all of his films are hits. In 2023, the actor faced off against dinosaurs in a sci-fi movie that became his worst-reviewed film and one of his biggest flops yet – and it just landed in the HBO Max streaming library.
Three years after it became a certified box office bomb with a $60 million worldwide gross against a budget of $45 million, 65 is streaming on HBO Max. The Scott Beck and Bryan Woods-directed sci-fi movie joined the platform on January 8th and is worth a watch despite what critics say. The movie stars Driver as Mills, a space pilot who crash-lands on a mysterious planet, only to discover it’s Earth 65 million years ago and he’s not alone. Stranded with a young girl named Koa, he must traverse the prehistoric landscape and face dinosaurs to reach an escape pod.
65 Underperformed Its Potential, but Is Still a Fun Watch
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There wasn’t much praise coming from critics or the box office when it came to 65. In fact, the reception to the film may just be enough to turn most away. In addition to being a massive box office flop, the movie became Driver’s lowest-rated film ever with just a 35% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews that dubbed it “dumb and dull” and a “waste of time.”
Those low words aren’t necessarily wrong – 65 greatly fumbled its potential. The premise of a futuristic soldier fighting dinosaurs on a prehistoric Earth is a pretty strong and highly entertaining idea for a sci-fi film, but the movie never really lived up to it. Rather than capitalizing on the inherent ridiculousness of the scenario, the movie took itself too seriously, and the film generally suffered from a weak script that never really developed the story and was filled with plot holes and little stakes, making it pretty underwhelming given what it could have been.
It wasn’t all bad news for the movie, though, as it received a lot more love from the general audience, even earning a fresh 64% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Although 65 is nowhere near close to being a great movie and certainly won’t be remembered among Driver’s better films, it’s a solid and fun turn-your-brain-off creature feature. The movie is short and to the point, so it’s an easy watch and a pretty straightforward man vs. monsters survival story, and it packs plenty of fun and thrilling dino action and sci-fi tech. Driver also delivers a committed performance and is really one of the highlights of the film.
What’s New on HBO Max?
65 probably won’t be at the top of everyone’s watchlist, but HBO Max has plenty of other new streaming options. The platform has rolled out dozens of new titles already this January, with movies like Bodies Bodies Bodies, John Wick, and Spaceballs now streaming. Other new streaming options include all five Twilight films, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and Fargo (1996).
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