Streaming fans on Netflix UK have done it again. Despite the streamer having a constant stream of new original movies uploaded weekly, movie watchers have a habit of flocking to older hits when they're added to the streamer over newer ones, and that's the case right now.
The Hangover as well as its two sequels were added to Netflix UK on Wednesday, September 6, and at the time of writing a week later all three of them are sitting comfortably on the streamer's top 10 list of most-streaming movies.
These movies, starring Bradley Cooper alongside Ed Helms and Zack Galifianakis, follow the continuing misadventures of a group of friends who repeatedly find themselves picking up the pieces after wild nights of partying.
The original 2009 film is often considered a classic comedy, and it tells the tale of three friends after a debaucherous bachelor party as they piece together what happened the night before while hunting for the missing groom. The hit cemented the careers of its actors, especially breakout star Ken Jeong, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and also became the most profitable R-rated movie of all time upon release. The Hangover is currently #2 on Netflix's movie list.
The first sequel, The Hangover Part II, takes a very similar plot to the first, but relocates the action from Las Vegas to Thailand. Unlike the first movie, it was critically panned, sitting at just 34% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. However fans were much kinder to the movie, and it ended up making the most money of the trilogy with nearly $600 million at the box office. This movie is at #5 on Netflix's movie rankings.
The Hangover Part III is certainly not as beloved as its predecessors, and it's more like a crime thriller than a comedy caper, as the plot centers on a crime lord who kidnaps one of the friends to force the others to locate Ken Jeong's character. No hangovers here!
Neither fans nor critics cared much for The Hangover Part III, as it has 20% critic score and 44% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, however it did still make a decent $362 million at the box office. Netflix fans are still watching this movie, but less than its predecessors, as it sits at #9 on the streamer's rankings.
There were never plans for a fourth movie according to the stars, though many movies in recent years have taken similar premises.
Despite fans' disappointment at the bizarre finale movie, The Hangover is considered a classic comedy movie by many. It was one of the biggest movies of its year, a big feat given that it was a new IP, and is credited with being the breakout for many stars.
The movies helped many members of the creative crew as well. Todd Phillips, who directed all three, went on to direct the Oscar-nominated hit Joker, while Craig Mazin, who wrote both sequels, became the showrunner for massive TV hits Chernobyl and The Last of Us.
While The Hangover and its sequels are frequently being added or removed from Netflix, they're easy watching (well, the first one is), and it's fun to re-watch them now and then to see how plenty of stars started. Maybe skip out on the third movie though.
