This Severely Underrated Johnny Depp Film Is Owning Netflix

A minor classic from over a decade ago is finding new life on Netflix.

The streamer has released its Top Ten list for the third week of March, and while there were a good number of holdovers from the week prior, there were also a few surprises. Perhaps the biggest shocker is the appearance of Public Enemies, the 2009 historical drama centered on the final years of the infamous bank robber John Dillinger, all the way up at number 3.

It's been fascinating to watch the comings and goings of all of the Netflix originals, animated flicks, and half-remembered features of yesteryear since the Top Ten list was rolled out by Netflix in February 2020. The streamer famously doesn't release its viewership numbers, but with the new feature, we at least have some idea of what our friends and neighbors are feverishly binging.

Gracing the Top Ten this week are the Netflix original flicks The Wrong Missy at #1 and John Henry at number 5, along with the family animated features The Willoughbys at number 6, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa at number 7, and The Grinch at number 10. And yes, it's nowhere near Christmas, so we're not sure what to make of that last one either.

The documentary Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics sits at number 9, and then there are the surprises: The unheralded 2012 French sci-fi actioner Lockout at number 8, the 2011 sports drama Soul Surfer at #2, and Public Enemies at number 3. While the latter flick was a minor commercial success upon its release, it didn't exactly set the world on fire which is honestly a bit puzzling, because its pedigree is nothing short of sterling.

If you're not familiar with the work of Michael Mann, then you've got some movies to watch, and Public Enemies is as good a place as any to start. The film features the veteran director working at the absolute top of his game, calling the shots for legendary cinematographer Dante Spinotti, who has shot several of Mann's films, including Manhunter, Heat, and The Insider.

Much has been made of the fact that the flick is a period piece shot on hi-def video, which on its surface is an odd choice. But Spinotti is a fan of the format, and he's also an absolute master at saturating his frames with vivid colors and inky dark spaces. This film looks fantastic, and it also benefits from Mann's deliberate, yet fleet, pacing.

Then, there's the cast, which is simply jaw-dropping. Depp crushes it in the role of Dillinger; he's joined by Christian Bale as FBI agent Melvin Purvis, Marion Cotillard as Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette, Billy Crudup as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and Stephen Lang as Charles Winstead, the Texas lawman who fatally shot Dillinger. Keep watching the video to see how this severely underrated Johnny Depp film is owning Netflix.

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