Yana Blajeva/XYZ Films
Megan Fox's career exploded in 2007 when she landed the role of Mikaela Banes opposite Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky in Michael Bay's mega-blockbuster "Transformers." She was a legitimate movie star and arguably the most popular pin-up icon of that era, with the latter being meant as a high compliment. (The great Marilyn Monroe was, aside from being a brilliant performer, one of the most desired women on the planet for many years.) Fox adroitly subverted her sex-symbol status two years later in Karyn Kusama's "Jennifer's Body" by playing a teenage-girl-turned-succubus; the film is now a proper cult classic, but it inexplicably failed to vault Fox into the more complex roles of which she was richly deserving.
15 years later, we're still waiting for directors to realize there's much more to Fox than her undeniable beauty. Recently, she's been in programmers (no shame in that), but it feels like there's so much more to explore with this abundantly talented performer. Perhaps she's found that role in her latest movie, which is currently drawing millions of eyeballs on Netflix.
This Christmas, Megan Fox demands your Subservience
XYZ Films
It might be Christmas season, but as of right now Netflix subscribers are mostly opting for S.K. Dale's sci-fi/horror flick "Subservience" over such Yuletide-skewing movies as "Mary," "That Christmas" and the Lindsay Lohan rom-com "Our Little Secret." It's even succeeded in claiming the number one spot in the service's daily top 10 most watched movies as of December 9, 2024 (via FlixPatrol), which is something of a stunner since it's been available on digital formats since September 13.
Why is "Subservience" clicking with viewers in early December? Perhaps they saw the trailer, and were intrigued by the idea of a struggling father (Michele Monroe) acquiring a lovely android to help him around the house with his children while his wife (Madeline Zima) contends with a serious illness. The film's hot-button exploitation of people's fears about the potential and proliferation of AI is surely a draw, but Fox once again putting a dark spin on her desirability has got to be contributing to its popularity as well.
What do the critics think? According to Rotten Tomatoes, they're split. "Subservience" currently has a 50% "rotten" rating, with some critics praising Fox's performance and Dale's handling of the provocative subject matter, while others feel it's too by-the-numbers in its approach. (Many detractors also believe it falls apart during what they consider a disappointingly derivative third act.)
"Jennifer's Body" also divided critics in 2009, so maybe "Subservience" is a cult classic waiting for you to discover it as you wrap presents or, just as likely, put off your holiday shopping until the last minute. You'll never know if you don't give it a click.
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