Entertainment
Legendary Dystopian Thriller Topples Sydney Sweeney’s Neo-Western Bomb on Streaming
Lately, the box office has been unkind to Sydney Sweeney, but on streaming, it’s a completely different story. For some reason, audiences are choosing to get their Sweeny fix from the comfort of their homes rather than in theaters. Eden, the star-studded historical thriller which stars Sweeney alongside Jude Law, Ana de Armas, and Vanessa Kirby, earned barely a fraction of its production budget, but upon arrival on streaming, had several eyes on it. The same is yet again the case for another of the actress’s recent movies, Americana, now surging through streaming and knocking out the competition.
Americana is a crime thriller that wowed critics during its world premiere at the 2023 South by Southwest Film Festival, but when it arrived in theaters this past summer, it struggled to draw significant interest, something that could be strongly blamed on the massive gap between its initial premiere and distribution by Lionsgate. Made on a budget of $9 million, the movie made barely $500,000, continuing a worrying commercial trend for the actress. Now, however, the project is proving its mettle on streaming, almost outperforming the well-known classic dystopian thriller, V for Vendetta on the Europea streaming service Chili. Americana is currently ranked #20 on the platform while V for Vendetta is #18. The synopsis for Americana reads:
“A gallery of dynamic characters clash over the possession of a rare Native American artifact in this wildly entertaining modern-day western. After the artifact falls onto the black market, a shy waitress with big dreams (Sydney Sweeney) teams up with a lovelorn military veteran (Paul Walter Hauser) to gain possession of it, putting them in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal (Eric Dane) working on behalf of a Western antiquities dealer (Simon Rex). Bloodshed ensues when others join the battle, including the leader of an indigenous group (Zahn McClarnon) and a desperate woman fleeing her mysterious past (Halsey).”
Americana premiered to strong critical and audience reception, currently holding scores of 65% and 77% respectively. Collider’s Ross Bonaime rated the movie a 7 out of 10 in his review, praising the chemistry between Sweeney and Hauser. The film’s consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “Americana blends gritty charm, compelling performances, and cultural resonance, but its lack of narrative focus and inconsistent execution keep it from fully realizing its potential.”
The film is available to stream on platforms like Rakuten TV and Chili TV, but its recent streaming dominance comes in the latter, where it’s emerged as one of the most-watched titles among UK audiences. Its rise comes at a time when V for Vendetta was already climbing the charts on the same platform following news of a new TV adaptation. But once Americana arrived, it brieflyovertook the classic dystopian thriller, holding the top spot for several days. Now though, V for Vendetta has returned with a vengeance, taking the #5 spot in the UK with Americana just behind it at #6.
Can Sydney Sweeney Bounce Back From Her Poor Run of Box Office Form?
It’s hard to predict, but the actress will certainly need a rebound soon. Her latest release, Christy, a sports biopic that showed great prospects due to the positive critical reception, isn’t looking like the one to reverse her box office fortunes, as early numbers aren’t promising. Fortunately, Sweeney remains an in-demand talent, and there’s every chance she could return to box-office success sooner rather than later.
Next up, she’ll appear in The Housemaid, a psychological thriller in which she stars opposite Amanda Seyfried. Directed by Paul Feig, the film is scheduled to hit theaters on December 19, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for more.
- Release Date
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August 15, 2025
- Runtime
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110 minutes
- Director
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Tony Tost
- Writers
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Tony Tost
- Producers
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Aaron L. Gilbert, Michael R. Williams, Terry Dougas, Ali Jazayeri, Jason Cloth, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, Steven Thibault, Alex Saks, David Gendron, Jean-Luc De Fanti, Suraj Maraboyina, Bavand Karim
