Michael Fassbender’s Assassin’s Creed, the film adaptation of the popular video game series, is set to leave Netflix in the U.K. on October 1. Despite featuring a talented cast and a substantial budget, the movie failed to resonate with critics and audiences, leading to its disappointing run and an end to plans for potential sequels.
Background and Box Office Performance of Assassin’s Creed
Released nearly a decade ago, Assassin’s Creed was an ambitious project directed by Justin Kurzel, marking his first big-budget film. The movie starred Michael Fassbender alongside prominent actors such as Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, and Brendan Gleeson. With a hefty production budget of $125 million, the film aimed to launch a franchise. However, it only managed to earn $240 million globally, which barely covered its costs. This outcome, combined with predominantly negative critical reception, halted any continuation of the series.
At the time of its release in 2016, video game adaptations were rarely successful. Assassin’s Creed joined a list that included the earlier Lara Croft films with Angelina Jolie and Timothy Olyphant’s Hitman, all of which had mixed to poor receptions. Even compared to more recent adaptations such as Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed grossed about half as much, highlighting its underperformance in the genre.
Critical Reception and Production Challenges
The film holds an 18% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting widespread critical dissatisfaction. The consensus acknowledged the movie’s superior cast and production values compared to other game adaptations but criticized its convoluted plot and heavy reliance on CGI effects. As one review put it,
“Assassin’s Creed is arguably better made (and certainly better cast) than most video game adaptations; unfortunately, the CGI-fueled end result is still a joylessly overplotted slog.”
Michael Fassbender himself admitted the film represented a “missed opportunity” during the promotion of Alien: Covenant. He noted that Assassin’s Creed had “three beginnings” that hampered its storytelling and expressed that, given another chance, he would aim to make it more entertaining. While Fassbender has since taken on other projects like Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag, which did not fare well at the box office, director Justin Kurzel moved back to smaller films, with his latest work being The Order featuring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult.
Current Availability and Legacy of the Film
Assassin’s Creed remains available for streaming in the U.K. until October 1 but will soon be removed from Netflix. Despite its potential, the film’s failure to impress has left a lasting disappointment among fans and critics alike. Its poor reception underscores the difficulties in adapting video games into successful cinematic experiences, especially when competing with later, better-received projects like The Last of Us and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
With Michael Fassbender’s Assassin’s Creed departing Netflix, audiences who want to revisit or discover the film are urged to watch it before the streaming window closes. The movie’s mixed legacy serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges of translating interactive entertainment into film.
