Netflix has added the 2008 period drama The Other Boleyn Girl, featuring a host of Marvel Cinematic Universe actors, and fans are calling it 'magnificent' and 'the best movie ever.' The film, which had a budget of $35 million and earned $78.2 million at the box office, has found a new audience on the streaming platform.
Plot and Cast
Directed by Justin Chadwick and written by Peter Morgan, the film is adapted from Philippa Gregory's 2001 novel. It offers a fictionalized account of the lives of 16th-century English aristocrats Mary Boleyn, mistress of King Henry VIII, and her sister Anne, who became the monarch's ill-fated second wife. The love triangle drives the drama, with Natalie Portman (known for Thor and Star Wars) playing Anne, Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow, Jurassic World) as Mary, and Eric Bana (The Hulk) as King Henry VIII.
The supporting cast includes Jim Sturgess, Kristin Scott Thomas, Mark Rylance, David Morrissey, Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Oliver Coleman, Eddie Redmayne, and Juno Temple.
Critical Reception vs. Fan Response
Critics gave the film a 43% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus calling it 'more like a soap opera than historical drama.' However, fans on Letterboxd have praised it. @stephchiao wrote: 'That was the absolute most craziest thing I have ever seen in my whole life ever.' @trinityrain said: 'I have just witnessed pure, pure cinema. The costumes, the set, but most of all, the ACTING were all simply phenomenal.'
The film's addition to Netflix comes amid a resurgence of interest in period dramas, spurred by the success of Downton Abbey and newer series like the BBC's The Other Bennet Sister, which recently aired and was renewed for Christmas specials.
