Gerard Butler’s Epic ‘Geostorm’ Hits Netflix: Can It Weather the Storm of Criticism?

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Starting April 1, the science fiction catastrophe film Geostorm, which tells the story of humanity inadvertently wrecking the planet using advanced satellites and then attempting to rescue everyone, is now available for streaming on Netflix. This movie, released in 2017, cost Warner Bros. a significant amount of money and was met with criticism from both critics and audiences. However, if you’re in search of an over-the-top, utterly preposterous disaster movie starring action film legend [actor’s name], then this is the film for you!

Geostorm features Gerard Butler alongside a diverse group of actors such as Ed Harris, Andy García, Abbie Cornish, Jim Sturgess, Eugenio Derbez, Adepero Oduye, Daniel Wu, Zazie Beetz, and Jeremy Ray Taylor, among others. The movie was jointly written by Dean Devlin and Paul Guyot, with Devlin taking the helm as director for his first full-length film directing venture. Devlin is recognized primarily for his work alongside Roland Emmerich, and together they created blockbusters like Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow. Regrettably, Geostorm did not achieve the same level of success as some of Devlin’s previous projects.

Regrettably, Geostorm didn’t quite capture the attention it aimed for, even though it showcased catastrophic events on a grand scale that have previously propelled films of this genre to commercial success. In the movie, Gerard Butler takes on the role of Jake Lawson, a skilled satellite engineer tasked with resolving a global crisis – malfunctioning satellites responsible for controlling Earth’s climate, which instead have been wreaking havoc and devastating cities worldwide. According to the film’s official synopsis:

If the satellite system engineered for managing global weather patterns suddenly turns hostile towards Earth, the inventor is in a desperate struggle to discover the underlying danger before a catastrophic Geostorm destroys all life on our planet.

If you’re unsure about the film titled “Geostorm,” it’s understandable. You might be thinking of Gerard Butler’s other disaster movie, “Greenland,” which came out more recently (in 2020) and was generally well-received, with a sequel planned. If you’re confusing “Geostorm” with “Moonfall,” the Roland Emmerich film where the Moon departs its orbit and heads towards Earth, that mix-up is also easy to make, as “Moonfall” too received better reviews than Butler’s space adventure.

‘Geostorm’ Is a Gloriously Disastrous Disaster Movie

Initially slated for a March 2016 premiere, the movie titled Geostorm faced some adjustments in its release schedule due to Warner Bros.’ scheduling modifications. Following poor feedback from test screenings, it necessitated multiple reshoots. Eventually, it hit the screens in October 2017, but unfortunately, despite earning $221 million, it fell short of being a profitable venture for Warner Bros., given its production budget of $130 million.

Despite the attempts at re-shooting, the film’s critical response was generally unfavorable. Many criticized the characters and story as poorly written, describing it as dull upon arrival and uninspired within the disaster genre. Currently, Geostorm has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 18% on the Tomatometer, with a more positive (but still lackluster) audience score of 35%. With Geostorm set to stream on Netflix and Gerard Butler’s popularity at an all-time high, it might be worth reconsidering whether the film is as terrible as initially perceived or if it’s actually worth another look.

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2025-04-01 16:31