Christoph Waltz’s Box Office Bust Becomes a Streaming Sensation
Written off with a 26% critical score after its October 17, 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival premiere and a blink-and-you-missed-it limited run, Christoph Waltz’s action comedy Old Boy is suddenly surging on Paramount+, finding the audience it lacked in theaters and on digital.
Some movies miss their shot in theaters and then quietly clean up on streaming. Christoph Waltz's Old Guy just did exactly that.
The theatrical stumble, the streaming bounce
Old Guy had its world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on October 17, 2024, then rolled out in select U.S. theaters and on digital. Critics were not impressed at the time: it sits at a 26% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes after 38 reviews. Cut to now, and the film has jumped into the Paramount+ movies Top 10. As of February 10, it is holding the No. 4 spot, according to FlixPatrol. That ranking site does not have a perfect sample, but it paints a pretty clear picture of what people are watching.
- Above Old Guy: The Running Man, Roofman, Regretting You (all 2025 releases)
- Also charting: Due Justice (2023), Just Like Heaven (2005), Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025), Top Gun: Maverick (2022), Wander (2020), Jack Reacher (2012)
Who made it (and where you know them from)
Simon West directed Old Guy, returning to action territory after Con Air and The Expendables 2. The script is by Greg Johnson. The cast is stacked: Christoph Waltz plays Danny Dolinski, Lucy Liu is Anata, Cooper Hoffman is Wihlborg, Ryan McParland is Doug, Ann Akinjirin is Opal, Jason Done is Milo, Tony Hirst is William, and Kate Katzman is Simone.
What it is
Waltz plays Danny Dolinski, an aging hitman who gets tapped to mentor a frighteningly talented young assassin. As the lessons pile up, Danny realizes there is a nastier game afoot and his new role might be less about passing the torch and more about lighting a fuse. It's an action comedy with a wry, world-weary lead and a setup that invites trouble.
The gap between critics and viewers
The critical reception was harsh. One review did not mince words:
"Director Simon West and writer Greg Johnson take the tired Grumpy Veteran Argues With Fresh-Faced Rookie trope to all-new lows in a film that feels maddeningly disinterested in delivering any of its underdeveloped goods."
And yet, audiences are (very) into it: Old Guy currently carries a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. That kind of split is not rare for streaming-first discoveries, but the size of the gap here is eyebrow-raising.
Bottom line: Old Guy whiffed with critics, but it is catching fire on Paramount+. If you are in the mood for a slick, disposable assassin romp with a killer lead turn, this is exactly the kind of Friday-night play button that explains the algorithm's taste.