Summary
Morgan Freeman’s mixed-reviewed psychological thriller,Kiss the Girls, finds new life on Netflix’s global chart 27 years later. Based on James Patterson’s best-selling novel of the same name, the 1997 psychological thriller follows the forensic psychologist Alex Cross who teams up with an escaped kidnap victim to catch the killer known as Casanova who has abducted his niece and many other women. Other thanFreeman in the lead role, the cast includes Ashley Judd and Cary Elwes.
Now, 27 years later, Freeman’s psychological thriller has found new life onNetflix. For the week of June 24-30,Kiss the Girlswas the third most-watched movie on Netflix’s Global Top 10 with 7.1 million viewsand 13.7 million hours viewed. However, it finished far behind the new Netflix originals,A Family AffairandTrigger Warning, which both received over 26 million views and finished in the first and second spots for the week.
Kiss the Girlsisn’t available on Netflix in the United States, though it is streaming on Paramount+ and for free on Pluto TV.
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Kiss The Girls' Mixed Reviews Explained
& How It Still Spawned A Sequel & A Reboot
Alex Cross, an African-American psychologist and detective, was a fairly popular character during the 1990s due to the popularity of Patterson’s books. Therefore, his cinematic debut was somewhat anticipated. Though Cross first appeared inAlong Came a Spider, the second book,Kiss the Girls, was the one that was adapted first. Overall,Kiss the Girlsreceived mixed reviews, with many critics considering it a clumsy thriller that lacks any real surprises. However, there are some strong performances from Freeman and Judd, along with suspenseful direction from Gary Fleder.
Kiss the Girlshas a 34% score on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics. However, despite mixed reviews,the popularity of Alex Cross helped propel the movie into a moderate box office success. It ended up grossing over $60 million globally on a $27 million budget. This was good enough to spawn a sequel,Along Came a Spider, which was released four years later with Freeman reprising his role as Alex Cross. However, numerous key elements from the book were omitted. Despite receiving mixed reviews, like its predecessor, the sequel was a box office success.
Along Came a Spideris also streaming on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
The character of Alex Cross continued to have appeal over the years and in 2012, the franchise was rebooted with the movieAlex Cross, an adaptation of the novelCross, with Tyler Perry taking over the titular role. Another sequel was planned but was canceled after the reboot became a box office bomb, and the character of Alex Cross was largely forgotten in the following years. However, Alex Cross has come back in full force withKiss the Girlsfinding new life on Netflix, and Prime Video’s upcomingCrossseries starring Aldis Hodge.
Kiss the Girls
Cast
Kiss the Girls is a crime thriller directed by Gary Fleder and based on James Patterson’s novel. It stars Morgan Freeman as forensic psychologist Alex Cross, who teams up with Dr. Kate McTiernan, played by Ashley Judd, to track down a serial kidnapper. The film delves into suspenseful investigations and dramatic rescues, offering a gripping narrative on the hunt for a cunning criminal.
