Laurence Fishburne’s Armored struggled in theaters and also holds a 42% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 55 reviews.
However, Netflix viewers are giving the 2009 thriller another life.
According to What’s on Netflix’s October 27 chart, it ranks third worldwide with 315 points. That ranking uses FlixPatrol’s points from national daily charts, not Netflix’s weekly viewing totals
Armored’s ticket sales barely passed its production budget
Initially, director Nimród Antal brought together Fishburne, Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Columbus Short, Skeet Ulrich, and Milo Ventimiglia. Yet that cast could not turn the film into a theatrical hit.
After its December 4, 2009 opening, Armored earned about $12 million in North America. Worldwide, its total reached roughly $23.7 million against a reported $20 million production budget.
However, ticket sales do not equal studio profit. Theaters keep a share, while marketing adds costs beyond production.
Beyond its financial troubles, the film kept its story compact, running 88 minutes. At its center, armored truck guards plan to steal $42 million from the company that employs them.
Armored skipped advance screenings but found some defenders
Before release, the studio did not show the movie to critics in advance. Still, some reviewers found more to enjoy than its reputation might suggest.
Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Glenn Whipp praised Antal’s ability to build tension in tight spaces.
“Armored won’t win any prizes, but it does offer comforting evidence that there’s still room for a well-crafted B movie among CG-laden spectacles,” he wrote.
By contrast, Rotten Tomatoes users gave it a 31% audience score from more than 100,000 ratings. Thus, its current popularity shows fresh attention, not proof that everyone has changed their opinion.
Finally, availability depends on location, despite the worldwide ranking. CBR reported on October 20 that American viewers could find Armored on Pluto TV rather than Netflix US.
