Need for Speed has raced to the top of a streaming chart. Directed by Scott Waugh, with a script written by George and John Gatins based on the popular video game franchise, the 2014 film follows street racer Tobey Marhsall as he embarks on a cross-country race to seek revenge for his friend’s death, caused by rival racer, Dino Brewster.

Three-time Emmy winner Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) leads the cast as Tobey Marshall alongside Dominic Cooper as Dino Brewster. Also starring are Imogen Poots, Scott Mescudi aka Kid Cudi, Ramón Rodríguez, Oscar winner Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Oscar nominee Michael Keaton (Birdman), Dakota Johnson, and Harrison Gilbertson.

Now, 11 years after its release, Need for Speed ranks first on Hulu’s Top 15 movies in the United States for today, September 18, where it has been for the past six days. It ranks below Bedazzled, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, World War Z, Practical Magic, John Wick: Chapter 4, The Other Woman, and Kingsman: Secret Service.

It also ranks above Abducted in the Everglades, Andrew Santino: White Noise, I Don’t Understand You, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Devil Wears Prada, Night at the Museum, and The Bob’s Burgers Movie.

What Need For Speed’s Streaming Success Means For The Movie

Need for Speed was quite a contentious movie when it was released back in 2014. Critics hated it, with Need for Speed reviews panning the film for being packed with clichés and an over-the-top storyline, deeming it a loud video game adaptation that delivers thrilling racing scenes but not much more, resulting in a dismal 23% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It fared slightly better with audiences, sporting a 56% score from that group. Though the movie underperformed at the box office in the United States, making only $43 million domestically, it found greater success overseas, earning $159 million internationally for a grand total of $203 million worldwide, success that can be attributed to the popularity of the video game franchise.

Our Take On Need For Speed’s Streaming Success

Today, Need for Speed seems like a relic from a bygone era when video game movies were synonymous with failure, with disasters like Doom, Hitman, Max Payne, and ᴀssᴀssin’s Creed dominating headlines. Despite some flashy racing sequences, Need for Speed lacks any real substance and relies mostly on brand recognition.

Today, the cinematic landscape for video game adaptations has changed dramatically, even for adaptations of racing video games like Gran Turismo (2023). So when a movie like Need for Speed tops a streaming chart, it certainly begs the question as to why some would suffer through it when there are better options available.