The 96% RT Remake of 1 of Henry Cavill’s First Movies Becomes a Surprise Global Streaming Success

2024’s The Count of Monte-Cristo has surged up Prime Video’s streaming charts, drawing a wider audience to the latest adaptation. It’s still debatable whether that’s better than the 2002 film and its perfect casting (which includes Henry Cavill in a supporting role).

The Count of Monte-Cristo has ranked fifth in Prime Video’s streaming top 10, as of Aug. 2, per FlixPatrol. The 2024 film is a French-language adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ namesake novel, which depicts how revenge consumes people. The movie is faithful to the setting, plot, and story beats of the original, in its protagonist, Edmond Dantès’ (played by Pierre Niney) betrayal, transformation, rise to power, and redemption. Overwhelmingly received by audiences, the film also has a 96% critic’s score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Per the official synopsis, The Count of Monte-Cristo revolves around Edmond Dantes, an honest working man who “becomes the target of a sinister plot, and is arrested on his wedding day, for a crime he did not commit. After 14 years in the island prison of Château d’If, he manages a daring escape. Now rich beyond his dreams, he assumes the identity of the Count of Monte-Cristo and exacts his revenge on the three men who betrayed him.”

Image via Palace Films

The Count Of Monte-Cristo Explores Revenge And Forgiveness

The film revisits the novel’s themes of justice and retribution, from the perspective of someone who’s reached the heights of power after hitting rock bottom. Co-written and directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, the screenplay condensed the source material but remained faithful in tone and character depictions. The 2024 film is arguably better than the 2002 version, which took creative liberties with the original story’s conclusion.

2002’s The Count of Monte-Cristo was filmed on location in Malta and Ireland. The casting was impeccable, with Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Richard Harris, and Luis Guzman in the lead roles. Henry Cavill was also featured in a supporting role as Edmond Dantes’ son. Cavill’s appearance makes the film more rewatchable, especially for fans who want to see his earlier work.

Speaking to Interview in 2013, the actor reflected on the film, when asked why the concept of family is a recurring theme in his work. “Well, up until now, I haven’t really had the choice of scripts, so a lot of these things that I’ve done just happened to be about family,” he mused. “But I suppose that when I’m building a character, it’s usually related to what their family is like and who their parents are, as well as how I grew up – that nurture side.”

The Count of Monte-Cristo is streaming on Prime Video.

Source: FlixPatrol, Interview