Russell Crowe and Liam Neeson’s only collaboration, The Next Three Days, has just become a streaming hit globally. Directed by Paul Haggis, the 2010 crime thriller stars Crowe as John Brennan, a family man forced to take drastic measures when his wife, played by Elizabeth Banks, is accused of murder.
Though The Next Three Days didn’t make a big splash in theaters 15 years ago, the film is now connecting with viewers on HBO Max. When looking at the streamer’s worldwide top 10 movies for October 26, the Crowe film ranks ninth ahead of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019).
The crime thriller, which also stars Olivia Wilde, falls behind a number of other notable titles, however, including It (2017), Materialists (2025), Challengers (2024), All Fun and Games (2023), I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025), Superman (2025), The Substance (2024, and, in first place, Weapons (2025).
The Next Three Days is not currently streaming on HBO Max in the U.S. American viewers can find the film on The Roku Channel.
The Next Three Days came two years after the release of Taken (2008), which completely changed the trajectory of Neeson’s career. Though the actor had never been shy about action-oriented roles and movies, it wasn’t until that film that Neeson became a true action star.
The Next Three Days didn’t take advantage of Neeson’s action hero stardom, though, with the actor appearing in a relatively small supporting role as John plans to break his wife out of prison. Still, it’s notable that the film puts these two stars together for the first time, because no movie has done it again since.
The newfound streaming success of Crowe’s 2010 thriller follows an under-the-radar release back in 2010. Made on an estimated budget of $30 million, the film only grossed $67 million worldwide. Using the traditional Hollywood rule of thumb, The Next Three Days likely failed to break even during its theatrical run. It may have since rectified this, however, as a home-viewing choice.
Critically, the movie also wasn’t a major win. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a mixed score of 50%, with the audience-driven Popcornmeter score marginally better at 66%. One major complaint in reviews is that the story, and The Next Three Days‘ ending, just don’t feel particularly plausible. Crowe’s performance, however, is frequently cited as a highlight.
The 2010 movie’s streaming popularity comes ahead of the release of Crowe’s latest project, a World War II drama called Nuremburg. As for Neeson, he recently made another genre jump, this time into comedy with the well-received The Naked Gun (2025). Though The Next Three Days is unlikely to ever be considered among either actors’ best, audiences are evidently enjoying the fast-paced thriller.
- Release Date
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November 19, 2010
- Runtime
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133 Minutes
- Director
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Paul Haggis
- Writers
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Paul Haggis, Fred Cavayé, Guillaume Lemans
