Netflix’s latest big movie has a 99% Rotten Tomatoes audience score and $1.5 billion box office

Netflix has added a familiar blockbuster to its US library, but its arrival is attracting fresh attention for one major reason: Top Gun: Maverick currently holds a remarkable 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The 2022 sequel, starring Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, has returned to Netflix as part of the streaming platform’s September lineup. The film is already one of the biggest titles available on the service, giving subscribers another chance to revisit the aviation action spectacle.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ remains a fan favourite

According to Rotten Tomatoes, Top Gun: Maverick has a 96% Tomatometer score from 476 critics and a 99% Popcornmeter score based on more than 50,000 verified audience ratings. The film also carries an average audience rating of 4.9 out of 5. The audience response is notable because the movie has been available for several years and has accumulated tens of thousands of verified ratings. Its critic score is also unusually strong for a large-scale action blockbuster. Rotten Tomatoes' critics' consensus describes the sequel as a long-awaited follow-up that delivers its thrills while going beyond the original film.

From theatrical blockbuster to Netflix hit

Maverick was already a major theatrical success before arriving on streaming platforms. The film earned around $1.5 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing movie of 2022. The Associated Press also listed it at the top of its year-end box-office breakdown. The movie's success was driven not only by its star power but also by its emphasis on practical aerial filmmaking. Cruise plays the veteran pilot who returns to the Top Gun programme to train a new group of elite aviators for a dangerous mission.


The story also brings an emotional connection to the original film through Miles Teller's Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick's late friend Goose.

Why the Netflix arrival matters

For Netflix, the film represents another high-profile licensed title in its US catalogue. What's On Netflix highlighted Top Gun: Maverick among the week's major additions, calling it a widely acclaimed legacy sequel and pointing to its practical aerial stunts and emotional story. For viewers, its arrival also gives the movie a second life outside the theatrical experience. The combination of large-scale flight sequences, nostalgia and a straightforward emotional story has helped it maintain a strong audience response years after its original release.

A blockbuster that continues to fly

Top Gun: Maverick is no longer simply a recent theatrical hit. Four years after its release, it remains highly rated by both critics and audiences and is now available to a new streaming audience. With a 99% verified audience score and more than 50,000 ratings, the Tom Cruise-led sequel has an unusually strong track record for a blockbuster of its scale. Its latest Netflix appearance could introduce the film to viewers who missed it in cinemas — or give longtime fans another reason to return to the cockpit.