Say what you will about Mel Gibson as a person – and plenty have, which is putting it lightly – it can’t be denied that the controversial actor and filmmaker is one hell of a director, with his most recent feature Hacksaw Ridge reinforcing that sentiment to a jaw-dropping degree.
The Lethal Weapon star may have only helmed five features, but when that number includes Best Picture and Best Director winner Braveheart, one of the highest-grossing R-rated releases in history via The Passion of the Christ, and the visually dazzling historical epic Apocalypto, he’s tended to focus on quality over quantity, even if the relentless violence that’s tended to define his work from behind the camera has always been a point of contention.
Hacksaw Ridge is no slouch in that department, either, but there’s a strong moral compass at the center through Andrew Garfield’s Oscar-nominated performance as Desmond Doss, an army medic and devoutly religious pacifist who saved dozens of lives during the Battle of Okinawa despite refusing to fire, hold, or even carry a weapon of any kind on the battlefield.
One of the most inspiring, uplifting, and unbelievable true-life wartime tales that’s ever been told, Hacksaw Ridge was showered in no shortage of critical and awards season praise, and the fact it’s currently overcoming insurmountable odds on no less than four separate on-demand services only serves to showcase how the stunningly immersive experience continues to display its staying power.
Per FlixPatrol, the film can currently be found on the most-watched charts of Netflix, iTunes, OSN, and Starz, giving it a foothold as one of the week’s most widely-viewed titles on the entire streaming circuit.