Gerard Butler’s underrated 2023 action film – and a favorite of Stephen King’s – soars again, becoming a huge streaming hit on Netflix. His movies may not come at the same furious pace as Liam Neeson’s, but the Scot who perfected Spartan-kicking is not far behind his Irish acting brother when it comes to cranking out relatively inexpensive, watchable action fare.

Butler’s high rate of production not only keeps him busy as an actor, it also guarantees him a prominent place in every streaming service’s lineup of action films. Earlier in 2025, Butler saw his action-thriller Den of Thieves become a trending тιтle, thanks in part to the release of Den of Thieves 2, which itself rocketed to the top of the streaming charts when it was made available (Den of Thieves 3 is now on the way). Also in 2025, Butler’s flop theatrical release Geostorm found new life on streaming, while in 2024, the star’s Law Abiding Citizen resurfaced thanks to Netflix.

Gerard Butler’s Plane Is Now A Streaming Hit On Netflix

The тιтle Was Mocked, But The Film Did Well

The world’s biggest streamer has become a second-home for Butler’s films, and now another of his recent releases is dominating Netflix, as Plane shoots to the top of the streaming charts. Released in 2023, the movie took advantage of light January compeтιтion to gross $74 million on a modest budget of $25 million. Plane became a meme thanks to its amusingly generic тιтle, and producers jumped on the bandwagon by announcing a sequel to be enтιтled Ship, though sadly there’s been no recent news about the project.

Ship may never sail after all, but Plane is having its moment on Netflix, flying high to top the service’s U.S. streaming chart for June 17, 2025 (via Filxpatrol).

Our Take On Plane Becoming A Streaming Hit

It’s A Perfect Netflix-And-Chill Action Flick

Plane proved a surprise hit when it swooped in for a landing in 2023. Critics found plenty to like about the movie’s meat-and-potatoes action, as reflected in the film’s 78% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ScreenRant joined in championing the film as a silly but entertaining time-waster, giving the movie 6-out-of-10, while saying “From the thrilling plane sequences and combat scenes to the subtle humor throughout, Plane is the kind of mindless entertainment that viewers will welcome to start their new year. Even Stephen King has a soft spot for Plane, citing the film as one of his favorites (via IndieWire).

The same attributes that made Plane a solid watch for moviegoers in 2023 also make it an appealing streaming тιтle. First, there is Butler, who is always engaging, and credibly badᴀss. Second, there’s the movie’s ridiculous-but-appealing premise, which sees Butler’s airline pilot trying to save his pᴀssengers after an emergency landing strands them in dangerous territory. Third, there’s the film’s no-nonsense approach to action, which proves untaxing to the brain, and effective in keeping the story on an entertaining course.

Plane’s arrival at the top spot on Netflix’s streaming chart demonstrates that, two years after its release, viewers still find its action enjoyable. As long as Butler keeps churning out modestly-budgeted, competently-made action films like this, he will continue being a major draw on streaming, where his films’ lack of higher ambition is a feature rather than a bug.

Sources: Flixpatrol, IndieWire