Bill Murray, the beloved actor, is back in the news this week for a number of new and old projects. In terms of the former, the actor will star in an as-yet-untitled Searchlight dramedy in which Aziz Ansari will make his directorial debut. Meanwhile, a neglected Bill Murray thriller from 2014 has risen up the ranks on Netflix, becoming one of the most-watched films on the platform this week in the United States.
St. Vincent is the film in which Murray stars alongside Melissa Mccarthy and Naomi Watts. Murray portrays a grizzled combat veteran who strikes up a connection with a lonely 12-year-old called Oliver whose parents are busy with getting divorced in this picture by filmmaker Theodore Melfi.
“Of course, you couldn’t find a better actor to play the bitter, grumpy weirdo who ends up being a kid’s regular babysitter and ultimately his saint than Bill Murray,” says one reviewer. For one thing, a nearly 80% audience rating based on over 25,000 user ratings. Not bad at all! And it has an almost identical Rotten Tomatoes critics score (77%) based on slightly over 200 reviews. It’s no surprise that this one has ascended the Netflix ranks.
By the way, I remember watching this movie in cinemas when it originally came out, and it’s well worth a re-watch on Netflix. If you do decide to watch it, make sure to stay till the finish. Murray is so fantastic that he’s still doing a great job playing the lovable curmudgeon as the credits roll. During which he can be seen walking around outside his house, having a cigarette, watering a plant, and singing along to Bob Dylan’s Shelter From the Storm.