Bradley Cooper has traversed a number of genres in Hollywood over the past few decades. Many will have first seen the actor inThe Hangover(2009), but his first significant comedic performance actually came a few years earlier inWedding Crashers(2005). Cooper tried his hand at horror in the underratedThe Midnight Meat Train(2008), before then becoming an action hero in 2010 with the reboot ofThe A-Team. 2011’sLimitlessfurther helped to establish Cooper as a viable leading man.
Through the 2010s and into the 2020s, Cooper has continued to take on varied projects, including joining the MCU with 2014’sGuardians of the Galaxy, in addition to leaning into more serious dramatic roles with movies likeThe Place Beyond the Pines(2012),Silver Linings Playbook(2012),A Star Is Born(2018), andMaestro(2023). Cooper’s 2014 war movie fits into this category, with the actor taking on the role of a real-life figure and earning some impressive awards recognition for it.
American Sniper Becomes A Streaming Hit
The War Film Is Thriving On Netflix
American Sniperhas become a top 10 Netflix title 11 years after its release. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the gritty war drama features Cooper in the lead role ofreal-life Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, documenting how the sniper became a legendary figure on the battlefield and how this bled into his family life back home.American Sniper, which also stars Sienna Miller and Kyle Gallner, was a hit with audiences, grossing $547 million worldwide on an estimated budget of $59 million.
Now, more than a decade after the film hit theaters, new data fromNetflixreveals thatAmerican Sniperis the sixth most-watched title on the streaming service globally for the week of April 21 – 27. The war movie racked up an impressive 4.4 million views and 9.7 million hours viewed, beating titles likeThe Two Popes(2019) andDespicable Me 4(2024).American Sniper’s success on the global chart stems mostly from its performance in the U.S., which is the only country in which it made the top 10. Check out the full global top 10 list below:
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Life or Something Like It
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What This Means For American Sniper
The Film’s Critical Reception Explained
In addition to commercial success,American Sniperwas met with a generally positive critical response. The film enjoys a 72% critics' score onRotten Tomatoes, but the audience-driven Popcornmeter score is much higher at 84%. In addition to being nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars,American Sniperalso earned Cooper his third Best Actor nominationafterSilver Linings PlaybookandAmerican Hustle(2013). The film was nominated for six Oscars in total, ultimately only winning for Best Sound Editing.
It’s not clear what promptedAmerican Sniper’s recent resurgence in popularity, butCooper clearly still appeals to audiences. It is notable that the film’s Netflix success is due mostly to its performance in the U.S., as $350 million of its $547 million box office total came from North America. Clearly, this is a story that speaks primarily to American audiences. It’s unclear whether Cooper will ever take on another role likeAmerican Sniper, but viewers are evidently enjoying revisiting this gritty war drama.
