Nicole Kidman’s latest Netflix movie, A Family Affair, has been a hit with the audience, and while it’s entertaining, it only makes me mad that her best movie in recent years was a major flop. Nicole Kidman got her big break in 1989 with the thriller Dead Calm, and thanks to it, she became one of the biggest stars of the 1990s. Although she had some not-so-notable projects in the 2000s and 2010s, Nicole Kidman continues to be quite popular with the audience, and she has starred in some big projects in recent years, as are both Aquaman movies and Being the Ricardos.

Kidman’s star power continues to shine in her latest Netflix movie, A Family Affair, directed by Richard LaGravenese. A Family Affair follows Zara (Joey King), a young woman working as the personal assistant to Hollywood star Chris Cole (Zac Efron). When Zara quits, Chris goes to her house to offer her a new deal and meets her mom, Brooke (Kidman). Despite the age gap and their different lifestyles, Chris and Brooke start dating behind Zara’s back. A Family Affair quickly reached the #1 spot in Netflix's Top 10, and it frustrates me that Kidman’s best movie in recent years didn’t get the same attention.

The Northman Is Nicole Kidman's Best Movie Of The Past Decade, But It Bombed In Theaters

Robert Eggers’ The Northman Was A Success With Critics

At the time of writing, Kidman’s highest-rated movies from the last decade are Paul King’s Paddington and Robert Eggers’ The Northman.

As mentioned above, throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Kidman was part of a variety of movies – from psychological dramas like The Hours to fantasy comedies like Bewitched and horror thrillers like The Killing of a Sacred Deer –, but not all of them were a success with critics and viewers. At the time of writing, Kidman’s highest-rated movies from the last decade are Paul King’s Paddington (with a near-perfect 97% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes) and Robert Eggers’ The Northman (90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes).

Based on the legend of Amleth, The Northman follows Viking Prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), who escapes his land after his father is killed by Amleth’s bastard uncle. Amleth, now a berserker, returns to his land many years later to seek revenge against his uncle, but it’s not an easy quest. In the process, Amleth discovers some dark family secrets that further complicate his revenge plans, and he also meets Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a sorceress and slave who he falls in love with, but their story is doomed to tragedy.

The legend of Amleth was the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Hamlet , hence the similarities between Shakespeare’s famous tragedy and The Northman .

Despite Eggers’ excellent track record and a star-studded cast, The Northman wasn’t the box office hit it was expected to be. The Northman grossed $69.6 million against a budget of $70-90 million, thus becoming a box office flop. The Northman’s disappointing box office performance was attributed to its theatrical release alongside The Bad Guys and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the latter targeting the same demographic as Eggers’ movie. Although The Northman found success when it was released on VOD, it’s a movie made to be enjoyed on the big screen, but unfortunately, it didn’t find the right audience.

The Northman Deserves The Popularity That Nicole Kidman's A Family Affair Has On Streaming

The Northman Didn’t Get The Recognition It Deserves

Thanks to its quality, The Northman deserves the popularity that A Family Affair quickly got.

As hard as it sounds, many movies deserve their bad box office performance due to their bad quality, poor performances, even worse stories, etc., but something that has been happening more often in the post-COVID world are critically acclaimed movies that bomb at the box office. Such is the case for The Northman, which was a success with critics but not with general audiences – and it’s a shame that it found its place on VOD as it’s a movie that's best enjoyed on the big screen thanks to its beautiful cinematography and more. Thanks to its quality, The Northman deserves the popularity that A Family Affair quickly got.

Kidman’s performance in The Northman as Amleth’s mother, Gudrún, was praised by critics.

Kidman’s performance in A Family Affair has been quite divisive, with some calling it the best part of the movie, others believing there’s no chemistry between her and Efron, and others praising their chemistry. Kidman’s performance in The Northman as Amleth’s mother, Gudrún, on the other hand, was praised by critics, and, despite her minimal screen time, she stands out as one of the best parts of the movie.

Although I enjoyed both movies, it really is frustrating that viewers chose to watch A Family Affair (many in a “hate-watch” way), which was clear it wouldn’t be a high-quality rom-com, rather than The Northman, which was guaranteed to be a visual and narrative delight. While I’m not saying that A Family Affair doesn’t deserve to be popular (it is quite entertaining and funny, after all), The Northman deserved that attention a lot more.

I'm Hoping Nicole Kidman's Next Netflix Movie Will Redeem A Family Affair's Divisive Reception

Nicole Kidman’s Next Netflix Movie Looks Quite Promising

Kidman’s next movie after A Family Affair is the animated musical fantasy Spellbound.

The Northman is the last of Kidman’s movies to get a high Rotten Tomatoes score, as A Family Affair currently holds a 39% critics score, but her next Netflix movie can redeem the latter’s divisive reception. Kidman’s next movie after A Family Affair is the animated musical fantasy Spellbound, directed by Vicky Jenson. Spellbound is set in the magical world of Lumbria and follows a young girl named Ellian (voiced by Rachel Zegler), who must break the spell that split the kingdom in two.

Netflix hasn’t been the best when it comes to rom-coms but it has done fairly well in animation, so Spellbound has a lot of potential thanks to that, its premise, and its voice cast. Spellbound has bigger chances to succeed than A Family Affair, and it could join The Northman as one of the best Nicole Kidman movies in recent years.