It’s not rare for sci-fi movies to debut and fly right under the radar in terms of viewership. It seems that only those made by big-name directors, or backed by giant studios like Amazon MGM, get the same sort of traction as their action or animated-movie counterparts. And that was the case for this 2023 sci-fi flick that tried to put a new spin on a Terminator-esque story. While it didn’t help that it prioritized style over substance in its plot, it also didn’t debut with the sort of fanfare one might expect from the director of Rogue One. However, it’s now making up for that less-than-stellar release reception by hitting the Netflix Top 10 Most Watched List.
Starring John David Washington, Gemma Chan, and Ken Watanabe, The Creator centers on Joshua (Washington), a former special forces soldier, as he grieves his wife’s disappearance. He soon finds himself recruited to hunt down and kill a person known only as the Creator—the mysterious mind behind an advanced AI, who has seemingly developed a weapon with the power to end the war, along with mankind itself. With a team of elite soldiers by his side, Joshua must cross enemy lines to find this weapon—only to discover that the very thing he must destroy has been hidden behind the constructed body of a child.
In some ways, yes. It was a beautifully made film, with some of the most incredible cinematography in a modern dystopian movie. The acting was also pretty top-notch, with great performances from Washington and Watanabe. But The Creator still performed pretty middle-of-the-road with critics and audiences alike, who scored it 67% and 75%, respectively. Critic Michelle Kisner says, “It’s a shame that the weak writing undermines The Creator so much, as there are some intriguing concepts that could have been compelling if executed better. For the most part, it’s a mishmash of other movies with not much to say on its own.” Which is something that a lot of sci-fi falls prey to: emulating the stories that came before, while forgetting to be original.
Audiences had a slightly more generous view of the movie than critics, a fact that is likely playing into how it’s performing now that it’s streaming on Netflix. “If you watched The Creator in 2023 when it came out, and watched it again in 2026 – after AI started melting into everyday life – you will have a greater appreciation for this movie,” said one viewer. And it’s true that films with AI at the center of their stories feel much more timely now that robots are trying to take over our everyday lives—another fact that’s likely bolstering The Creators viewership numbers.
Do you have a favorite moment from The Creator? Do you think it deserved to crack the Top 10 on Netflix? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other sci-fi fans are saying.
