Netflix has been serving up much more questionable streaming fare than standard of late. Dylan Sprouse’s “Die Hard on a bridge” movie, “Aftermath,” broke Netflix’s film charts not too long ago regardless of being what one viewer described as “visible most cancers.” It adopted Amy Schumer’s comparable domination of the Netflix charts along with her film “Kinda Pregnant,” a movie that garnered a 28% Rotten Tomatoes rating. That every one transpired within the wake of Cameron Diaz’s absolute domination of Netflix with her first movie in 11 years, “Back in Action,” itself a 29-percenter on RT. As such, the arrival of a half-decent true crime drama on the streamer’s film charts is a welcome growth.
“Trial by Fireplace” is a biographical drama directed by Edward Zwick, the filmmaker accountable for considered one of the best Civil War movies ever made in “Glory.” This neglected 2018 effort relies upon the article of the identical identify by journalist David Grann, which appeared in The New Yorker in 2009. It lined the story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who in 2004 was executed for the 1991 homicide of his three youngsters by arson, having been convicted within the case of Willingham v. State of Texas. What made Willingham’s case so controversial was that each Grann’s and an earlier Chicago Tribune article argued the proof used to convict had been misinterpreted. What’s extra, an skilled employed by the Texas Forensic Science Fee made comparable claims concerning the proof, arguing that it did not level to arson because the probably reason for the fireplace that killed Willingham’s youngsters.
The movie stars Jack O’Connell because the ostensibly wrongly-convicted, and Laura Dern as playwright Elizabeth Gilbert who turned an advocate for Willingham’s innocence after studying a letter he wrote to his lawyer. In an effort to exonerate the person she believes has been wrongly convicted, Gilbert pursues the reality concerning the case, discovering an online of deceitfulness and suppressed proof alongside the way in which.
In the event you suppose that sounds just a little too fascinating to succeed on the identical charts that not too long ago hosted Sprouse and Schumer, you would be improper as a result of “Trial by Fireplace” is making a run up these very rankings.
The jury is in: Trial by Fireplace is a Netflix hit
Launched on Might 17, 2019, “Trial by Fireplace” did not make a lot of an impression when it first debuted. However that is precisely what Netflix is for. The platform that gave life to a forgotten Chris Hemsworth flop and resurrected an overlooked Adam Driver and Bill Murray zombie movie is strictly the type of place a film like “Trial by Fireplace” can thrive. Certain, it would not have a shambolic Rotten Tomatoes rating, but it surely seems that is not really a requirement to achieve the streaming charts.
In line with FlixPatrol, a website that tracks streaming viewership figures throughout the varied platforms, “Trial by Fireplace” has loved stable success because it hit Netflix on February 13, 2025. The next day, it instantly charted at quantity 4 on the U.S. movie charts, which is a fairly good outcome for a film no one really remembers. If something, it is good to see a movie that’s clearly higher than your common direct-to-streaming effort really getting an viewers. What’s extra, on February 15 “Trial by Fireplace” jumped up a spot to take quantity three within the U.S., placing it in rivalry for first place. To be able to take that prime spot, nonetheless, Jack O’Connell and Laura Dern are going to have cope with Dylan Sprouse, who has dug in at quantity two and is combating off any and all contender who dares problem his Netflix chart triumph — and that is not the one competitors “Trial by Fireplace” faces.
Trial by Fireplace could be too good to say primary on Netflix
On the time of writing, the U.S, Netflix film charts are being dominated by the streamer’s personal romantic comedy “La Dolce Villa” which debuted on the service the identical day as “Trial by Fireplace.” Now, “La Dolce Villa” is way nearer to the type of factor you’d anticipate to see within the prime spot, with no Rotten Tomatoes rating to talk of and a middling viewers rating of simply 58%. Certain, it is not fairly as dangerous because the time Kevin Hart’s “Lift” hit number one on Netflix, but it surely’s doing its finest to maintain alive the grand custom of movies that are not superb dominating the streamer’s rankings.
With a stable 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, “Trial by Fireplace” has no enterprise creeping in the direction of that primary spot, although its rating does drop to 45% when taking into consideration solely “prime critics” and its common ranking is simply 5.4 out of 10. Regardless, it appears the biographical drama could be in with an opportunity of claiming victory as Dylan Sprouse’s actioner has been hanging round for a short while now, and is unquestionably prime for a topplin’.
In the meantime, a sneaky 43-percenter is creeping up behind “Trial by Fireplace” to grab that quantity three spot, with sci-fi horror “Do not Let Go” trying prefer it too may take pleasure in a pleasant little run on the prime — particularly with that type of vital response. Not less than Dern and co. will not have to fret about John J. Rambo. After finally finding an audience on Netflix, Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo” flop, “Last Blood” seems to be dropping out of the highest 10, although it is nonetheless holding on to the quantity seven spot on the time of writing. It is going to be fascinating to see if “Trial by Fireplace” can take primary because the week goes on, however with some half-decent opinions behind it, such a feat would absolutely upset the streaming overlords at Netflix.
