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Mark Wahlberg is one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, but a film he made 20 years ago is finding new life on Netflix. Wahlberg remains a huge star with films like “Uncharted” and the discreet hit “Flight Risk” to his name more recentlybut the film in question is a crime drama in the form of 2005’s “Four Brothers.” It’s by no means one of his most talked about films, but it obviously won over many fans two decades after its initial release.
As of this writing, “Four Brothers” is the fourth biggest movie on Netflix, according to FlixPatrol. It sits behind Jason Statham’s “Wrath of Man,” “The Girl Who Got Away” and the Netflix original “The Great Flood.” It is also located just above Rian Johnson’s latest “Knives Out” film, “Wake Up Dead Man.” This is all pretty impressive for what was once a pretty standard studio film. It’s not like we’re talking about an overlooked classic, with all due respect. It was a film that seemed to come and go in its time. Yet here we are. It is one of the most watched films on the world’s largest streaming service.
For those who may not have seen it or just need a refresher, it focuses on four adopted brothers who come together to bury the woman who raised them following her death. At the funeral, they discover that the woman they affectionately called their mother has been murdered, prompting them to seek revenge on those responsible. The movie was directed by the late, great John Singleton, of “Boyz N the Hood” fame.
Four Brothers was a sneaky hit in its day that still has its fans
The rest of the cast includes “Tyrese Gibson, star of the Transformers and Fast and Furious franchisesOutKast founder Andre 3000, aka Andre Benjamin, and eventual “Tron: Legacy” star Garrett Hedlund. Terrence Howard (“Hustle & Flow”), Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Doctor Strange”) also star.
In its time, “Four Brothers” was a decent success, grossing just over $92 million at the box office against a budget of between $30 and $40 million. Mind you, this was also back when DVD was a much bigger deal, as were cable rights. It was a big enough success that Wahlberg was working on a sequel, aptly titled “Five Brothers,” in 2010.. This never happened, but at least it was contested. It was also arguably at the height of Andre 3000’s star power, as “Hey Ya!” topped the charts in late 2003, making him a hip-hop superstar. It was an eclectic and strong cast that came together at the right time, and many of these actors went on to have huge careers.
The fact that the film is now being released on Netflix is a testament to the fact that people seem to have a soft spot for it. This comes at an interesting time, as Wahlberg was releasing big popcorn hits like “The Italian Job” but also starting to take on more serious roles, like in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed.”
In recent years, Wahlberg has become something of a king of streaming with “Infinite,” “Me Time,” “The Family Plan,” “The Family Plan,” and his Netflix hit “The Union” everything goes directly to streaming.
You can also grab “Four Brothers” on Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon.
