Michael Douglas, Brittany Murphy’s 2001 thriller ‘Don’t Say a Word’ surges to Netflix top 10
Two decades after its release, Michael Douglas and Brittany Murphy’s Don’t Say a Word has climbed Netflix’s Top 10
Netflix has done it again! The streaming service has taken an old-school studio thriller and turned it into a streaming hit. As per Slash Film, the 2001 psychological thriller Don’t Say a Word, starring Michael Douglas and the late Brittany Murphy, has suddenly surged into Netflix’s global Top 10 movies list.
The Gary Fleder-directed movie currently sits at No. 5, just behind I Know What You Did Last Summer and ahead of Roald Dahl’s The Twits.
Inside the story that hooked a new audience
The movie follows criminal Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and his crew after they kidnap a young girl (Skye McCole Bartusiak). Her father, Nathan Conrad (Douglas), is a psychiatrist, and the kidnappers do not want cash and rather ask for some information. Specifically, a secret code locked inside the mind of Elisabeth (Murphy), one of Conrad’s patients who has not spoken in a decade.
The premise is classic early-2000s high-concept suspense - glossy, pulpy, and built for the big screen. The movie landed at a time when Murphy’s star was on the rise and Douglas was winding down his streak of career-defining thrillers like Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction.
According to Slash Film, when it premiered, the movie earned just enough to break even - around $100 million on a $50 million budget - but critics were mostly unimpressed. Two decades later, audiences are clearly giving it a second chance.
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Netflix’s nostalgia effect
Slash Film pointed out that Don’t Say a Word is not the only forgotten movie climbing the charts. Titles like After the Sunset (2004) and Vacation (2015) have also found new life on the streaming platform. Even The A-Team has popped back up.
Murphy’s devoted fanbase has never really faded, and her performances in Clueless and Girl, Interrupted remain cult favorites. Watching her in a tense, emotional role again seems to strike a chord with viewers. Netflix’s latest revival shows that even mid-tier thrillers from the DVD era can find fresh relevance when served up to the right audience.
FAQs
What is Don’t Say a Word about?
It is a psychological thriller where a psychiatrist must unlock a code hidden in a traumatized girl’s mind to save his kidnapped daughter.
Who stars in the movie?
Michael Douglas, Brittany Murphy, and Sean Bean lead the cast.
When was Don’t Say a Word released?
The movie premiered in 2001.
