The fact that “Lift” is drawing in so many subscribers in spite of reviews essentially warning viewers away from the film is unsurprising. Working alongside Hart are recognizable actors like Gugu Mbatha-Raw from “Loki”; “Avatar” star Sam Worthington; popular singer Kim Yoon-ji, aka NS Yoon-G; and even frequent action movie character actor Jean Reno. This collection of stars covers an atypically wide range of styles in their past work, with the capability to capture a diverse viewership.
In an interview with USA Today, Mbatha-Raw described “Lift” as a project not necessarily meant to win awards but meant to serve as something akin to cinematic comfort food. “It’s a light popcorn movie,” she said. “There’s a lot of intense things going on in the world right now. To be able to have an escapist movie like this that really captures your attention, that is something everybody can watch together with their family on a Friday night, we need that right now.”
The appeal of “Lift,” then, is intentionally broad, and its spot on Netflix’s Top 10 list suggests that the film accomplished just what it was supposed to.
