Netflix has recently announced that Mark Wahlberg is to star in Wonderland, a new film about a man who “uncovers the truth about a sensational murder and the twisted conspiracy behind it.”
It’s well know that Netflix makes it commissioning decisions based on the data it collects about members’ viewing habits and a browse through the service’s library suggests the actor is a firm favourite with Netflix users.
In the UK the service is home to many of Wahlberg’s films including Shooter, the 2007 movie about a US Army sniper framed for the murder of the President, as well as the Ryan Phillppe series of the same name that Wahlberg co-produces.
Also present is the truly awful Micheal Bay film Pain & Gain which was accused of being both sexist and homophobic by some reviewers. Despite this, 10 of the 14 reviews on Netflix give the film 4 stars or above.
Wahlberg and Bay reunited for Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) which is also present on the service. Both this film and its sequel, Transformers: The Last Knight, were panned by critics and here most Netflix reviewers seem to agree with their professional counterparts.
The good news is that both Bay and Wahlberg have suggested The Last Knight will be their last contribution to the franchise which has consistently struggled to recapture the fun of the 2007 Transformers.
Also released in 2014 and present on Netflix is The Gambler, a remake of the 1974 film starring James Caan and written by James Toback based in part on his own life.
The film tells the story of Los Angeles literature professor with a gambling addiction that sees him racking up crippling debts in a seres of casino sites, some legal, some not, and eventually forced into playing one final make or break game.
Reviews for the film were mixed and it holds a 44% score on Rotten Tomatoes but Wahlberg’s performance did earn praise from several outlets including The Guardian.
Netflix is also the streaming home to Patriots Day in which tells the story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and in which Wahlberg co-stars alongside Kevin Bacon, John Goodman and J.K. Simmons.
The actor appears in another ‘based on a true story’ movie Deepwater Horizon which co-stars Teen Wolf and Maze Runner actor Dylan O’Brien, plus Kurt Russell, John Malkovich and Gina Rodriguez and recounts the story of the infamous disaster.
Wonderland sees Wahlberg reunite once more with Peter Berg who helmed both Patriots Day and Deepwater Horizon and who the actor also worked with on his upcoming Mile 22 and is expected to launch on Netflix next year.