Paul Rudd And Alexander Skarsgård Starred In A Forgotten Netflix-Exclusive Sci-Fi Movie

Alexander Skarsgård is something of a daredevil when it comes to some of the projects he's signed up for. This year, he's playing a model husband and sexually charged scarecrow opposite Olivia Colman in "Wicker," and before that, he was a biker in a BDSM relationship in "Pillion." Science fiction is a whole other story for the star, though. He's set to return in a second season of his darkly comical futuristic Apple TV show, "Murderbot." Before that, he appeared in the sci-fi body-horror movie "Infinity Pool," as well as the blockbuster monster mash-up "Godzilla vs. Kong." And let's not forget the time he climbed aboard the movie based on a board game with "Battleship."

With that varied collection of science fiction stints, there have been highs and lows, but one movie with a lot of potential that failed to hold on was Duncan Jones' 2018 movie, "Mute," released exclusively on Netflix. Set in the distant future, the movie follows a mute barman who hunts for his girlfriend, Naadirah (Seyneb Saleh), after she disappears. A classic detective story set in a world of tomorrow, "Mute" drew high hopes, especially coming from the director of "Moon" and the impressive time-loop movie "Source Code." Unfortunately, even with the help of supporting talent like Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, and Dominic Monaghan, critics and audiences barely made much noise about "Mute."

As it stands, "Mute" is Duncan Jones's lowest-ranking project on Rotten Tomatoes, with a woeful 20% score. Dan Jolin of Empire Magazine advised that "Fans of 'Moon' and 'Source Code' be warned: 'Mute' is sadly, almost tragically, not worth the wait." Meanwhile, Sara Stewart of the New York Post couldn't help but spot one grievous issue, writing, "it's never a great sign when your lead is upstaged by the supporting players, and for all its good looks, 'Mute' ultimately doesn't have a whole lot to say."

Early looks at the movie also had fans hoping they were getting a film that tapped into the brilliant sci-fi of old, which was understandable. On the surface, the neon-coated tale and futuristic tech made it seem like Jones was right at home, but he got lost in the story he was trying to tell. Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly called the film out, saying, "Early trailers made it look like a neon-noir cross between Blade Runner and The Fifth Element. Sadly, it's just another airless dud in red packaging."

For fans of Jones' work, it was a frustrating disappointment, particularly since the film had teed up a loosely bound trilogy Jones had planned, which, because of the movie's failure, never came to pass. The only evidence of this was in a background television broadcast in this massive misfire that linked to Jones' best.

Before the movie's release, Jones revealed that Sam Rockwell, who had starred in Jones' breakout film, "Moon," was set to appear in "Mute," tying up what happened after the events of his 2009 movie. "I wanted to get Sam to come and do a cameo in the next film. We're going to do a cameo where he does an epilogue scene that explains what happened to Sam when he got back to Earth [at the end of Moon]," the director explained (via CinemaBlend). "That's going to take place in the next film."

Jones kept his word, and Rockwell did indeed appear in the movie during a television broadcast airing in the background of his 2018 film. It was revealed that after the events, Rockwell's character, Sam Bell, returned home, and the entire operation of clones working on the Moon was exposed. The news broadcast headline reads, "The 156 meet their maker," revealing just how many Sams were active. The trial looks even more complicated when you see that, besides dozens of astronauts watching the trial unfold, two Sams appear on both sides of the courtroom.

It's a great little link to the original film, but unfortunately one that still hasn't been explored further. As it stands, the only project on Jones' to-do list is the adaptation of the 2000 A.D. comic book hero "Rogue Trooper," set for release later this year.