The #1 Thriller on Netflix is an Intense Story of Family Survival You May Have Missed
A Netflix original survival thriller that bowed on the platform last week is already claiming its spot in the top 10. The title in question is called The Sand Castle. It currently sits as the seventh most-watched film on the streamer and as the most-viewed thriller on the service.
Seeing as the film just bowed, it’s nearly impossible to gauge the collective reaction with any certainty. Three out of four Rotten Tomatoes critical reviews tallied skew positive. That’s a promising sign. Yet, the film has a user score of just 4.6/10 on IMDb with nearly 800 ratings locked in. My best guess is that the picture’s subtext resonated with critics more than fans. Reading through a couple of reviews suggests the film deals with heavy themes and takes care to paint a poignant metaphor.
It seems as if the flick has flown under the radar thus far, perhaps due to a lack of marketing. I only learned of its existence after the picture began to chart on the platform.
Glenn Kenny reviewed the film for RogerEbert.Com and awarded it three out of four stars. He praised the picture’s allegory and the questions it leaves the viewer with after the credits roll.
Director Matty Brown co-wrote the screenplay with Hend Fakhroo and Yassmina Karajah. This marks Brown’s feature film directorial debut. However, he is no stranger to filmmaking. In fact, Brown has helmed more than 20 short films since 2007.
The picture’s entire cast is comprised of only the four family members at the core of the story. There are no other actors listed on the picture’s IMDb page. The cast includes Nadine Labaki as Yasmine, Ziad Bakri as Nabil, Riman Al Rafeea as Jana, and Zain Al Rafeea as Adam.
If you’re curious to see why The Sand Castle is climbing the Netflix charts, head over to the platform and give it a shot.
The setup for this intense survival thriller goes as follows:
Stranded on a deserted island, a family of four scavenges for survival as their past unravels, sending them into a downward spiral.
That is absolutely everything that we have for you at present, dear reader. Be sure to stay tuned to Dread Central in the near future for more exciting updates on which films within your niche interest set are charting on your favorite streaming platforms. If you’d like to keep up with my comings and goings, come find me on Threads @FunWithHorror.
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