A gritty Gerard Butler drama from 2011 has found an unexpected second wind on streaming. The movie currently sits at an impressive spot, beating multiple big-budget and highly successful projects.
Machine Gun Preacher is a streaming hit on Paramount+
Machine Gun Preacher is proving it still has some gas in the tank. According to FlixPatrolthe Gerard Butler-led drama ranks No. 6 among Paramount+ movies in the U.S., sitting ahead of Top Gun: Maverick, The Contractor, Extract, and Get Hard.
The film follows Sam Childers, a former biker and drug dealer whose life takes a sharp left turn after finding faith. He eventually travels to East Africa, where helping children caught in a civil war becomes his mission. But the work quickly gets dangerous, pushing Sam into armed confrontations with militants who prey on children.
Butler headlines the movie as Childers, while Michelle Monaghan plays his wife, Lynn, and Michael Shannon stars as his friend Donnie. Marc Forster directed the movie from a screenplay by Jason Keller, drawing on Childers’ real-life story and reporting by Ian Urbina. Forster, Robbie Brenner, Gary Safady, Deborah Giarratana, and Craig Chapman served as producers.
When Machine Gun Preacher hit U.S. cinemas on September 23, 2011, it had already made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie had plenty going for it on paper, from Gerard Butler in the lead to a story packed with action and real-world stakes. But the box office told a very different story. With an estimated $30 million budget and roughly $3.3 million worldwidethe film became a major theatrical flop.
Critics didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet either. Machine Gun Preacher sits at 28% from critics on Rotten Tomatoeswhile audiences have been much more forgiving with a 62% Popcornmeter score.
IMDb gives it a 6.7/10 rating. The movie may have missed with critics, but its fusion of faith, violence and moral gray areas still gives it a second life with fans looking for something off the beaten path.