Movies: this 2009 movie just entered netflix and crashed top 10

[Blessing]

Netflix’s Top 10 list has a new action-packed entry — and it’s not a new release. Gerard Butler’s “Law Abiding Citizen” (2009) has made a surprise return to the streaming charts, quickly climbing the ranks as fans rediscover (or discover for the first time) one of his most controversial thrillers.

Directed by F. Gary Gray, the same filmmaker behind The Italian Job and Straight Outta Compton, Law Abiding Citizen pairs Butler with Jamie Foxx in a brutal revenge drama that explores how far one man will go after the justice system fails him.

A Dark, Calculated Plot
The movie opens with Clyde Shelton (Butler), a devoted husband and father whose world shatters when his wife and daughter are murdered during a home invasion. When one of the killers escapes with a reduced sentence after striking a deal with ambitious prosecutor Nick Rice (Foxx), Clyde’s faith in justice collapses completely.

Ten years later, Rice’s world is turned upside down when one of the murderers is found dead — killed in a way so precise and disturbing it couldn’t possibly be random. Clyde confesses, but as more people start dying in similarly calculated ways, it becomes clear that even behind bars, he’s still in control. What follows is a tense, cat-and-mouse game between a vengeful genius and a system built on compromise.

Divided Reactions — Then and Now
When Law Abiding Citizen first hit theaters in 2009, critics were not impressed. It holds a 26% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers calling it “unnecessarily violent” and “morally confused.” But audiences had an entirely different take — giving it a 75% audience rating and turning it into a $127 million box office success.

That divide has followed the movie into its Netflix resurgence. Fans are flooding social media, praising Butler’s intense performance and the film’s relentless pacing. “It’s flawed, but I couldn’t look away,” one viewer wrote. “The tension between Foxx and Butler is pure electricity.” Others point out that despite its over-the-top premise, the movie hits a nerve — raising uncomfortable questions about justice, vengeance, and moral compromise.

The Gerard Butler Effect
In recent months, Netflix has quietly built a mini Gerard Butler revival. His action films — from Plane and Kandahar to Geostorm — have all found new audiences on the platform, and Law Abiding Citizen continues that trend. It’s a perfect fit for streaming: fast-paced, brutal, and endlessly watchable, even when it veers into absurdity.

Butler’s performance is arguably one of his best — cold, calculating, and deeply human at the same time. Foxx, meanwhile, plays the moral counterweight, struggling to defend a system that’s clearly broken. Together, they turn what could’ve been a simple revenge flick into a philosophical showdown about power and punishment.

Should You Stream It?
If you’re looking for a movie that’s perfectly logical and morally grounded, Law Abiding Citizen probably isn’t it. But if you want a thrilling, high-stakes revenge story that leaves you questioning who’s really right or wrong, this one delivers.

The film’s violence is intense, its tone unapologetically grim, and its pacing relentless — but that’s exactly what makes it so gripping. It doesn’t try to comfort the viewer. Instead, it forces you to sit in the chaos and decide for yourself where justice ends and vengeance begins.

Even after 15 years, Law Abiding Citizen still divides viewers. Some call it a cult classic; others say it’s a moral mess. Either way, it’s a movie that refuses to be forgotten — and judging by its sudden surge into Netflix’s Top 10, audiences still can’t resist the dark allure of Gerard Butler’s most unhinged role.

[Olayinka]

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