It’s Morbin’ Time: Morbius actually became Netflix’s No. 1 streamed movie

How was Morbius No. 1 on Netflix? Should it have been? Believe it or not, it makes sense. 

Let’s call it like it is. Morbius was another critical failure by Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters. The project did underperform at the box office but it did also make its money back. Considering it’s a comic book movie, it’s not shocking. You’d have to have one of the worst comic book films in existence to not break even. Dark Phoenix made its money back and it’s one of the worst rated comic book movies ever.

Sony attempted to re-release Morbius in theaters due to a meme. A meme that was actually making fun of the movie. Unfortunately, they thought people really wanted to see it. Not only was that a mistake, the movie was an embarrassing flop. IGN reported that it made $300,000 across the 1,037 theaters it was screened in, translating to just $289 per theater.”

Despite all of the negativity, the movie’s unexpected release on Netflix saw it not only crack the Top 10, but hit the top spot, becoming the No. 1 movie on Netflix.

Why was Morbius No. 1

There are a few reasons why Morbius was No. 1. First, and possibly the biggest cause for the high streaming numbers, was curiosity. Some people didn’t see it in theaters. The trailers may not have been interesting enough to get people out of the house. Now that it’s free with Netflix, curiosity can be indulged.

The second part was that it debuted during a pandemic. Moviegoers didn’t venture out to see more anticipated movies. They may not have wanted to take any unnecessary risks to see a film that wasn’t getting good reviews. Now that you can watch it in a safe space, why wouldn’t you give it a shot? Especially if it’s something you wanted to see.

The final reason is likely the real reason. People clicked on it to see if it was as bad as the critics said, or if it was “so bad it’s good”. Watching bad movies was popularized by the Sharknado franchise. The creative team behind Sharknado knew why people liked the movies because they were awful. They were so bad, they were good. It’s why the series kept getting more far-fetched as they went on. The same could be said for The Fast and The Furious films. Unfortunately, Morbius wasn’t supposed to be a bad movie. It just happened to be awful.

Morbius slipped from No. 1 to No. 2 after the release of Netflix original movie End of the Road. Not much of a drop off at all. In fact, it won’t be shocking if it takes the top spot back. Viewers who watched it the first time may have enjoyed it more the second time around. That will lead people to recommend it to others who are on the fence. There’s also the people who will say, “You have to see how bad this is.” That will also equal more views. Either way, Netflix fans have embraced Morbin’ Time. If you haven’t, it’s a good time to try it.

What do you think, readers? Did you enjoy Morbius? Do you get why it was No. 1 on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.