Melissa McCarthy's Comedy Gem Gets a Second Wind on Netflix After 9 Years

Summary

Despite being panned by critics, Melissa McCarthy's 2014 comedy film Tammy has recently become a hit on Netflix, ranking at #8 on the streaming platform's global film chart.

Tammy's success demonstrates McCarthy's strong performance at the box office during the early 2010s. Her previous films, Identity Thief and The Heat, also achieved impressive grosses at the domestic box office.

Although McCarthy's box office influence has diminished in recent years, she continues to maintain a devoted following among streaming viewers. This is evident from Tammy's surprising inclusion in the Netflix top 10.

A critically panned Melissa McCarthy comedy, released in 2014, titled Tammy, unexpectedly becomes a Netflix sensation nearly a decade later. Despite receiving negative reviews from critics, earning a disappointing 24% on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie found success among audiences, making $84 million at the domestic box office.

Tammy may not be one of McCarthy's most memorable films, but it continues to captivate viewers as it enters the Netflix top 10, rising to the eighth spot on the streamer's global film chart for the week ending on October 22.

Melissa McCarthy Was A Box Office Sure Thing In The Early 2010s

Despite receiving criticism upon its release in 2014, Tammy managed to reach nearly $100 million domestically, thanks to McCarthy leading the cast. This demonstrated the immense popularity of McCarthy as a leading actor during the early 2010s. McCarthy's successful streak as a lead actually began in 2013 with Identity Thief, which grossed $134 million domestically, followed by The Heat later that year, where she teamed up with fellow box office draw Sandra Bullock to earn $159 million domestically.

Continuing her success, McCarthy remained the focal point in 2014's Tammy and continued to shine as a comedy star in 2015's Spy! ($110 million domestic) and 2016's The Boss ($63 million domestic). However, the 2016 release Ghostbusters, where McCarthy was part of an ensemble in a controversial all-female reboot, fell short of the high box office expectations, generating only $126 million domestically.

After Ghostbusters, it took until the release of the Disney live-action remake The Little Mermaid in 2023 for McCarthy to again be part of a film that grossed over $100 million. In the meantime, her presence at the box office has decreased since her successful run in the early 2010s. However, McCarthy continues to maintain her popularity among streaming viewers, as evident from the unexpected inclusion of her film Tammy in Netflix's top 10.