Summary
Russell Crowe has starred in his fair share of thrillers, with his 2024 war movie,Land Of Bad, sharing a surprising connection with one of his best-known projects in the genre.Russell Crowe leadsLand Of Bad’s castasReaper, a drone pilot tasked with guiding a new member, Sergeant JJ Kinney (Liam Hemsworth), to safetyafter their field mission in the Philippines goes wrong. William Eubank directed the film, which hasbeen rated highly by audiences since its release in February. It’s this popular acclaim that creates a link to one of Russell Crowe’s most successful movies ever.
Russell Crowe is no stranger to box office and critical hits. AlthoughLand Of Bad’s theatrical performance was disappointing, the movie received generally positive reviews and has enjoyed a resurgence on Netflix. On the surface, this seems fairly unremarkable. However, the movie’s reputation with viewers is such that it shares a shocking record with a movie that is not just one of Russell Crowe’s best-known, but one of the most acclaimed releases of all time – in any genre.
Is Land of Bad worth watching?
Land of Bad has just arrived on Netflix and I think it is one of the most underrated films recently. Not only does it have two Hemsworth brothers - who are both fantastic in it - it is packed with action and suspense. Land of Bad details a 48-hour battle for survival during a Special Forces covert operation and it had me on the edge of my seat. The action sequences are thrilling and it has a great cast. Definitely worth checking out.
Both Have Crowe’s Highest Audience Rating On RT.
L.A. Confidentialis a 1997 movie starring Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and Danny DeVito. Crowe plays Bud White, a police detective who uncovers corruption within the LAPD while investigating local homicides. The film grossed over $100 million at the box office and has an impressive 99% critical rating onRotten Tomatoes– with the review aggregator recently ratingL.A. Confidentialas the greatest movie of all time. Interestingly, however, the movie also has a94% audience approval rating – the same asLand Of Bad. This means that the two movies have the joint-highest audience approval ratings of all of Russell Crowe’s films.
L.A. Confidentialis available to stream on Apple TV+.
Both movies are in different sub-genres, withL.A. Confidentialbeing a crime thriller andLand Of Badbeing a war action thriller, butwhat both have in common, aside from ratings, is a strong Russell Crowe performance. Frank Scheck fromThe Hollywood Reportersaid that Crowe “steals the show"as Reaper and of his performance inL.A. Confidential, Desson Howe of TheWashington Postsaid that Crowe had a"unique and sexy toughness"in his portrayal of Bud. Russell Crowe’s performances in both films were praised by critics, but they had different opinions about the films collectively.
Land Of Bad Ending Explained
Liam Hemsworth’s Land of Bad has an ending befitting the movie’s overall tense tone, with the twists and turns throughout influencing the finale.
L.A. Confidentialhas the greatest critical acclaim of Crowe’s moviesand was nominated for numerous Oscars. Meanwhile, Land of Bad has a 65% critics score on RT, a fraction ofL.A. Confidential’s 99% score. The movie was so popular, that anL.A. Confidential 2pitch was putforward but was never made and, while they are both popular with audiences, critics preferredL.A. ConfidentialoverLand Of Bad.
Critical and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes of L.A. Confidential and Land Of Bad
94%
65%
99%
Critics preferL.A. Confidentialbecause it features a complex narrative with multiple characters working in a team to uncover corruption, unlikeLand Of Bad,which focuses mainly on the teamwork between Reaper and Kinney that enables Kinney to get to safety. However, considering that they both have the same Rotten Tomatoes audience score, it’s obvious that both movies were thoroughly enjoyable, even if their critical reception wasn’t on par. This difference in scores shows thatwhile critical acclaim varies, audience enjoyment can be equally highfor both films.
Land of Bad
Cast
Land of Bad follows an elite air force mission gone awry, setting up a high-stakes rescue led by a drone pilot. The team must navigate hostile terrain in a bid for survival, featuring action-packed sequences that test their skills and resilience.
