Summary
Independence Daystarring Will Smith has become a big hit on streaming. Released in 1996, the Roland Emmerich sci-fi film, which also stars Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman, chronicles humanity’s fight to survive after destructive alien invaders attack Earth.Independence Daywas a major box office success, grossing $817.4 million worldwide, on top of earning mostly positive reviews from critics. The movie remains a popular watch even almost two decades later.
A new streaming popularity chart fromReelgoodnow reveals thatIndependence Daywas the seventh most popular title on streaming in the U.S. for the week of July 4 – 10. The movie’s streaming success, unsurprisingly, coincides with the real American Independence Day on July 4, with Americans evidently revisiting the patriotic film around the holiday. The Smith movie, which is available to watch on Hulu, beats out the likes ofPearl,House of the Dragon, andMy Lady Jane. Check out the full top 10 list below:
Independence Day Is A 1990s Will Smith Classic
Where The Film Fits Into Smith’s Hollywood Career
Smith was already a well-known figure in the TV and music landscape prior toIndependence Day’s release, due in large part toThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He had also, however, announced himself as a movie star with 1995’sBad Boys. The Michael Bay action film can largely be credited as the project that started Smith’s Hollywood movie career, and it featured a blend of action, comedy, and charm that he would become known for in all his biggest titles.
Independence Day 1996 Ending Explained
The ending of 1996’s Independence Day was a triumphant one for humanity that underscored the film’s themes and set up an eventual sequel.
A starring role in theIndependence Daycastmay not have been Smith’s big break, but it certainly helped to cement his newfound movie star status. LikeBad Boys,the Emmerich movie saw Smith playing a character with both attitude and heart, and he was the source of much of the film’s comedy. This winning combination would be further established in 1997 with the release ofMen in Black.
Smith would return for multiple sequels to bothBad BoysandMen in Blackin subsequent years. He most recently revisited the former property with thewell-reviewedBad Boys: Ride or Die.
Smith delivered a number of successful movies in the 2000s and the 2010s, butthe trio ofBad Boys,Independence Day, andMen in Blackcould be enough to cement the 1990s as the decade with his greatest number of memorable movies. An attempt was made in 2016 to repeat the success of the 1996 classic withIndependence Day: Resurgence, but Smith wisely did not return for this disappointing sequel. The fact thatIndependence Daycontinues to dominate streaming charts even 20 years later speaks to just how effectively the film hit the mark with audiences.
Independence Day
Cast
Roland Emmerich’s iconic 1996 sci-fi disaster movie Independence Day chronicles the attack of a hostile race of aliens against planet Earth. When extraterrestrial aircraft occupy Earth without warning, the forces of humanity quickly band together to stop them. At the behest of President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman), US Marine pilot Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and satellite engineer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) organize humanity’s last-ditch counterattack against the technologically-advanced alien mothership.
