$60M Sci-Fi Dinosaur Movie Becomes a Major HBO Max Hit, 3 Years After Flopping at the Box Office

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The film in question is 65, the sci-fi dinosaur movie Driver headlined back in 2023. According to FlixPatrol, which measures the popularity of titles on various streaming services, 65 ranks as the No. 5 on HBO Max, trailing the likes of John Wick and One Battle After Another on the chart. 65 is ahead of some high-profile titles, including three Twilight films and Constantine.

65 Bombed at the Box Office, but Is Worth Watching on HBO Max

Image Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

The 65 marketing campaign relied heavily on the imagery of Driver in a futuristic getup and wielding sci-fi weapons while being hunted by dinosaurs. Viewers would be forgiven if they thought time travel was at play here, but 65 puts an interesting spin on the dinosaur movie. As the title suggests, the film simply takes place 65 million years in the past. Driver’s character Mills is a pilot from an advanced society on another planet. After embarking on an expedition to secure funding for his daughter’s medical treatment, Mills crash lands on a prehistoric Earth and has to fight his way to safety. Despite that intriguing premise, 65 struggled to resonate with audiences. Receiving mostly negative reviews (36% on Rotten Tomatoes), it only earned $60 million worldwide at the box office.

That reception should not dissuade HBO Max subscribers from adding 65 to their watchlists, however. For starters, Driver is an easy selling point. The actor has a reputation for always giving it his all, and 65 is no exception. He treats the material with the required level of seriousness, allowing viewers to become properly invested in Mills’ journey. 65 doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to storytelling, but the core narrative is still effective due to Mills’ relatable plight and Driver’s typically strong performance. Driver also establishes a nice dynamic with Ariana Greenblatt, who plays Koa, a young girl Mills finds and cares for. They form a touching father/daughter bond that brings Mills’ arc full circle.

Demonstrating his versatility as an actor, Driver also never looks out of place when it comes to handling 65‘s action sequences. Anyone familiar with his work in the Star Wars franchise shouldn’t be surprised by that (Kylo Ren was part of some memorable set pieces), but 65 further solidifies that Driver (who served in the military before becoming an actor) has the chops to be a great action star. Not only that, 65 leans into horror elements as well, which should be expected given it hails from A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The situations Mills and Koa find themselves in underscore the terror of roaming around among the dinosaurs, leading to some tense and harrowing moments.

This isn’t the first time 65 has become a hit on streaming. In 2023, it topped the list of Netflix’s top 10 movies, illustrating there is very much an audience for this film. Word of mouth might have contributed to its poor showing at the box office. With that low of a Rotten Tomatoes score, viewers were inclined to stay away out of concern that the movie wasn’t worth the cost of admission. But as we’ve seen time and time again, it’s much easier to get people to push play at home, so in that sense it isn’t surprising that 65 has conquered yet another streaming service.

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