Gerard Butler’s 2023 action thriller is finding renewed success on Netflix after disappointing at the box office. When it comes to mid-budget action fare, Butler remains one of the most prominent names in Hollywood. The actor regularly appears in action-heavy thrillers, and these movies are often popular with audiences.
TheHas Fallenfranchise is largely responsible for this new era of Butler’s career, with the star first playing Secret Service agent Mike Banning in 2013 withOlympus Has Fallen. Butler has since returned as Banning in two sequels, and a fourth installment titledNight Has Fallenremains in development.
Butler has also found success beyond this franchise, however, cementing his position as an action star with films likeDen of Thieves(2018),Copshop(2021), andPlane(2023). The actor still regularly makes his mark in non-action movies, too, including the disaster thrillerGreenland(2020) and thelive-actionHow to Train Your Dragon(2025) remake.
Not all of Butler’s films are immediate hits upon release, and some take a little more time to find their audience. This is exactly what happened with an action thriller from several years ago that is now succeeding on streaming.
Kandahar Makes Its Mark On The Netflix Streaming Charts
Two years after its release,Kandaharhas just entered the Netflix top 10. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, the action thriller sees Butler taking on the role of Tom Harris, a CIA operative who must escape Afghanistan with his translator after uncovering a covert mission.
Kandaharreviewswere mixed from critics and the film grossed only $9.4 million worldwide.Planeultimately emerged as the more popular Butler movie from 2023, faring well critically and commercially.
Now, Netflix streaming data reveals thatKandaharis the tenth most popular English-language movie on the service globally for the week of August 4 – 10. The action thriller has racked up an impressive 3.2 million views during that week and 6.4 million hours viewed. Check out the full top 10 chart below:
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What This Means For Kandahar
OnRotten Tomatoes,Kandaharhas only a 45% score from critics, butthe audience-driven Popcornmeter score is much higher at 82%. This isn’t unusual for a Butler film, as it’s with general viewers that his films often succeed.
