Why Russell Crowe's Latest Films Have Netflix Buzz

Russell Crowe is back on Netflix, and the conversation feels familiar: solid star power meets uneven material. The actor's newest film to land on the streamer, The Exorcism, arrives July 28, 2024 — exactly the kind of release that sparks debate: does a heavyweight presence elevate a middling horror?

Directed by Joshua John Miller, The Exorcism pairs Crowe with Sam Worthington, an actor recently seen in Netflix's hit series I Will Find You. Critics have been tough. Rotten Tomatoes sits at about 27 percent. The consensus? Crowe helps anchor the film, but the story drifts into exorcism clichés that many viewers have seen before. Short scenes hit hard. Long stretches meander.

Contrast that with The Pope's Exorcist, Crowe's 2023 turn that surprised at the box office. With a modest budget near 18 million dollars, the film pulled in close to 80 million worldwide — his biggest solo gross in years. Rotten Tomatoes landed it around the midpoint, near 50 percent, and the usual line from reviewers was consistent: the movie is a familiar religious horror, yet Crowe's committed performance gives it a larger heartbeat.

Crowe's presence consistently turns routine genre trappings into watchable moments.

Nuremberg, his recent historical drama, added a different kind of momentum. Not a blockbuster in the conventional sense, it quietly amassed roughly 70 million globally and reminded audiences that Crowe's name still carries cultural weight. That steady success explains why streaming platforms and studios keep circling him for diverse projects.

So what comes next? Crowe has a few plates spinning: a part in an Unabomber film and a role in the upcoming Highlander reboot, where Henry Cavill takes the lead. If the pattern holds, these projects will be marketed on star appeal as much as premise, and expect Crowe to be a headline draw whether critics cheer or jeer.

At the end of the day, moviegoers decide. Are you tuning in for Crowe, the scares, or both? The Exorcism lands on Netflix July 28 — bring popcorn and a healthy dose of skepticism.