The Negotiator has become a global Netflix hit. Directed by F. Gary Gray, with a script written by James DeMonaco (The Purge franchise) and Kevin Fox, the 1998 crime thriller stars Samuel L. Jackson as an expert negotiator who, framed for embezzlement and murder, must take hostages of his own to uncover a conspiracy and clear his name.

The cast also includes two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects, American Beauty), two-time Emmy nominee David Morse (House, John Adams), Ron Rifkin, Emmy winner John Spencer (The West Wing), J.T. Walsh, two-time Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man, The Holdovers), The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ‘s Michael Cudlitz, and Breaking Bad‘s Dean Norris.

Now, 27 years after its release, The Negotiator ranks seventh on Netflix’s Global Top 10 movies for the week of September 8–14 with 2.8 million views and 6.5 million hours viewed. It ranks below KPop Demon Hunters, The Wrong Paris, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, aka Charlie Sheen: season 1, The Thursday Murder Club, Shrek, and above Along Came a Spider, Shrek 2, and Paw Patrol: The Movie.

The Negotiator finished as a Top 10 movie on Netflix in 42 countries this week, including number one in the Bahamas. Though The Negotiator isn’t available on Netflix in the United States, it is streaming on Prime Video and for free on Plex.

What The Negotiator’s Netflix Success Means For The Movie

The Negotiator‘s streaming success serves as a reminder of one of Samuel L. Jackson’s most underrated movies, as well as one of F. Gary Gray’s best movies, the director of Friday (1995), The Italian Job (2003), Law Abiding Citizen (2009), Straight Outta Compton (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), and more.

The Negotiator is often seen as one of Samuel L. Jackson’s most underrated films because it showcases his command of tension and dialogue. Playing hostage negotiator Danny Roman, Jackson balances authority with vulnerability. His performance anchors the story and showcases a range that is rarely seen in many of his more well-known roles.

For director F. Gary Gray, The Negotiator stands as one of his strongest works. Throughout, the pacing remains тιԍнт, the script stays focused, and the action builds without excess. Gray stages the standoff as both a thriller and a battle of wills, giving the film a lasting reputation for its craft.

Our Take On The Negotiator’s Netflix Success

Though The Negotiator may stretch its runtime to 2 hours and 20 minutes, F. Gary Gray’s sharp direction and Samuel L. Jackson’s strong performance make up for any misgivings. The Negotiator is a more than formidable crime thriller that deserves the renewed attention that it’s receiving on Netflix.