If nothing else, you can at least make sure that Netflix viewers have a certain kind of diverse taste. Although the current situation is quite dire, with Cameron Diaz's first film in 11 years is dominating the Netflix charts despite the terrible reviews we saw last year The director of “Green Room” ranks at the top of the same charts with the excellent action thriller “Rebel Ridge”. Similarly, movies like Kevin Hart's “Lift” are getting amazing success on the streamer, but so are star movies. sci-fi epics directed by Christopher Nolan, like when Interstellar topped the Netflix charts to start in 2025.
All in all, Netflix is an endlessly fascinating yet confusing landscape, inhabited by the kind of streaming slope responsible for weakening the entire concept of filmmaking, but also managing to expose a global audience to Academy Award-nominated films such as Spanish drama “Snow Society”. Now, the heartwarming family sports movie you might associate with mid-90s Disney is climbing the charts, adding another dimension to this compelling media mix.
You Gotta Believe was released in theaters on August 30, 2024 and ran for almost 1.4 million US dollars at the cash register. Directed by Ty Roberts, the film stars Luke Wilson and Greg Kinnear and tells the true story of a Fort Worth Texas youth baseball team that reached the 2002 Little League World Series. It's exactly the kind of thing you'd expect straight to streaming platforms these days, and now, after its modest theatrical run, You Gotta Believe proves it always belonged on Netflix.
You Gotta Believe had a strong debut on Netflix
You Gotta Believe stars Luke Wilson as Bobby Ratliff, the father of a player on the West Side All-Stars youth baseball team. After Ratliff is diagnosed with terminal cancer, the team dedicates their season to their ailing father and rallies to make it all the way to the Little League World Series under Greg Kinnear coach John Kelly. There's a lot of heartwarming emotion in this sports biopic that, despite poor reviews, has managed to resonate with audiences, as evidenced by its Netflix success.
The movie hit the streamer on January 21, 2025, and according to FlixPatrol (a site that tracks viewing data on streamers) immediately hit Netflix's Top 10 in the US and Canada. Not only that, but the film is also mimicking its plot, with the film heading towards the top of the charts in an impressive run that has only just begun. The day after “You Gotta Believe” hit the platform, it peaked at number two in both countries, suggesting that this will be a nice little reprieve for a film that turned out to be a flop.
Although it currently has a 58% critic rating Rotten tomatoeswith an average rating of 5.9 out of 10, the audience rating is much more favorable at 90%. Along with Netflix's performance, you can expect a crowd-pleasing inspirational sports drama here and not much else, but sometimes that's all you really need from your Netflix queue. The question is, how big of a success will it be for the film?
Do you have to believe to come out on top?
At the time of writing FlixPatrol shows Cameron Diaz's “Back in Action”, which is still at the top of the US charts. After disappearing from Hollywood for 11 years, Diaz has made an impressive return on the streaming platform, overcoming dire reviews and reaching number one in over 90 countries worldwide. Meanwhile, “You Gotta Believe” is enjoying a more modest Netflix renaissance after a less-than-stellar box office performance, peaking at number two in the US and Canada. But if Luke Wilson's sports drama can topple Diaz and her triumphant return from retirement, it would be a nice little notch in the film's belt.
However, “You Gotta Believe” will have to fend off some pretty tough competition to do that. Right behind the film are “Despicable Me” and “Despicable Me 2,” both of which have been on the charts for so long that it's starting to look like they'll never leave. With Jason Reitman's Cracking Chronicle of Comedy Cornerstone “Saturday Night” “You Gotta Believe” will appear on Netflix on January 25 to secure its spot, especially since bloody murders in “Scream VI” with Jenna Ortega is also set to debut on the streamer on the same day.
For now, though, it's nice to see a more traditional sports drama rise up the charts. It just goes to show that there's still a huge audience for this kind of thing, even if that audience doesn't go to the theater anymore.
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