The Western might not be anywhere near as popular as it used to be, but Idris Elba is a big star and a beloved name amongst fans, so Concrete Cowboy stands a great chance of playing well to Netflix’s 200 million subscribers now that Ricky Staub’s modern oater has been added to the content library.
Netflix picked up the distribution rights to the project a few months ago, with Elba also producing as well as playing the lead role that sees him as the father of Stranger Things‘ Caleb McLaughlin, who gets sent to live with his estranged old man in Philadelphia to be drawn into the life of a rancher.
The solid cast is filled out by When They See Us‘ Emmy-winning breakout star Jharrel Jerome and Method Man, and having originally premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Concrete Cowboy has been riding a strong wave of critical acclaim. It’s currently sitting on a Rotten Tomatoes score of 79%, and while reviews tend to mean very little when it comes to cracking the platform’s Top 10 most-watched list, it at least guarantees that it’ll be worth checking out.
Idris Elba is always a reliable presence no matter what he appears in, and having largely kept himself busy with blockbusters over the last few years after starring in Avengers: Infinity War, Hobbs & Shaw, the disastrous Cats and this summer’s The Suicide Squad, it’ll be a refreshing change of pace to see him sink his teeth into a meaty role in a character-driven drama like Concrete Cowboy. Not to mention that that long-gestating feature-length adaptation of Luther could be next on the cards for the 48 year-old once he finishes up on George Miller’s sci-fi Three Thousand Years of Longing.