The School for Good and Evil may not have cast a spell over critics, but its popularity among Netflix subscribers is bubbling up. The new fantasy movie, which stars the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Kerry Washington, and Charlize Theron, has jumped to the top of the platform's streaming chart just one day after its release.
In the UK, it has bested the likes of The Curse of Bridge Hollow and Sing, and in the US, it knocked Mila Kunis' Luckiest Girl Alive from the #1 spot. (Blackout is currently at number three there, Mr. Harrigan's Phone is at #4, and Megamind is #5).
Based on the novels of the same name by Soman Chainani, the film centers on Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), a couple of free-spirited best friends who are kidnapped and taken to the titular enchanted academy. There, the girls are divided: Sophie is sent to the School for Evil, which moulds each new generation of fairytale villains, while Agatha is sent to the heroes-only School for Good.
Determined not to succumb to their forced fates, the twosome rebel against their no-nonsense teachers and vow to work together to escape. But shaking off their education and returning home proves more of a challenge than they first released.
"I never set out to make this a kids' movie, I really wanted it to be for everybody and so by doing that, it made me not try to pander to a younger audience or to pull our punches," director Paul Feig recently told Inside Total Film. "Netflix was very clear when I came on, because I'd said, 'Look, I don't want to do a kids' movie, I don't want this to be just light' and they were very much, 'No, we want to make this an anti-Disney movie, it can still be dark.'"
The School for Good and Evil, which is currently rated just 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, is available to stream on Netflix now. If fantasy's not your thing, or you're put off by some of the above comments, check out our guide to the best Netflix movies for some viewing inspiration.
