Adam Driver's 2023 Sci-Fi Flop Is Finally Finding An Audience On HBO Max

Picture this: In a sci-fi future, you're a dad and your daughter is sick. You need money to treat the illness, so you agree to embark on a space expedition meant to take two years max, but it's easy and you'll be back to earn the money for treatments. During that journey, your ship is hit by a mass of asteroids and you crash land on a planet: Earth. Only, it's not modern Earth, it's 65 million years ago during the Cretaceous period, and there are dinosaurs everywhere. If that sounds equal parts confusing and intriguing, you might find yourself interested in "65" starring Adam Driver, produced by Sam Raimi.

The film wasn't a complete failure at the box office: "65" generated $60 million worldwide with a budget of $45 million, but it wasn't a huge success either. It has a choppy 35% score with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's safe to say they didn't like it. However, users have scored a higher 64%. Over on IMDB, the reviews are slightly less forgiving. It has 5.4 stars with over 104K reviews. 

It does seem to be finding an audience through streaming. It's in the top 10 movies on HBO Max, according to FlixPatrol ratings for the week of January 12. It's resting at spot number five and has been holding for at least two days. If you haven't seen it, it is a decent action flick that keeps things going until the credits roll. You won't learn much about dinosaurs, but with a warm bowl of popcorn and some good company, there are worse ways to pass the time than watching "65."

The headliner, of course, is the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but it's not the only dino that makes an appearance or gives Driver's character (Pilot Mills) a tough time. There are several creatures hunting not only Mills, but also a companion he meets and protects; a young girl named Koa, played by Ariana Greenblatt. Shortly after the ship crash, Mills meets Koa, who is looking for her own family.

Their mission is to trek across the treacherous planet to reach a working escape shuttle, which Mills locates using some cool digital tech. Some of the dinosaurs they come across include Theropods, massive carnivores that stood on two legs like the T-Rex, Lagosuchus, Dromaeosaurs, Oviraptors, and many others. There's a bit more going on — the plot has been grossly oversimplified here — but don't expect anything groundbreaking. As mentioned, we never really learn anything new about dinosaurs, like where they come from, nor are there any real answers as to why these human-like aliens existed more than 65 million years ago. Mills and Koa may be human, or maybe they're something else, but that's a mystery never particularly solved in the 93 minute runtime.