Hillbilly elegy: Netflix flop to trending hit as Vance's profile rises

"Hillbilly Elegy" premiered on Netflix in November 2020. It had long been "buried" by newer films. Then suddenly, on 16th July, it jumped to the 6th spot among the most popular titles on the platform in the USA. Why? "Hillbilly Elegy" is based on the autobiographical book by J.D. Vance, a candidate for Vice President of the United States.

Before the experienced Hollywood director Ron Howard made "Hillbilly Elegy", J.D. Vance’s novel appeared on the publishing market and achieved gigantic and completely unexpected success. "The New York Times" included it among the most important books explaining the electoral success of Donald Trump in 2016. The rights to its screen adaptation quickly landed in Netflix's hands, which wanted to make it an Oscar-winning production.

However, the film divided critics. It received exceptionally polarised reviews. Ron Howard's drama relied on the performances of two great actresses, Glenn Close and Amy Adams, diluting the other storylines in the novel. The screenplay became chaotic, and the characters' relationships were torn from their social context. Ultimately, "Hillbilly Elegy" was only distinguished with two Oscar nominations: Supporting Actress (Glenn Close) and Makeup & Hairstyling.

The appearance of the author of "Hillbilly Elegy" in big politics made viewers in the United States revisit the forgotten 2020 production. The film's viewership increased from about 9,000 viewers to 164,000, allowing it to take 6th place on Netflix's trending list.

Interestingly, many American critics considered the film harmful, portraying an untrue image of poor, white Americans. Joe Berkowitz characterised some jokes in the movie as "disgusting," presented as playful and eccentric remarks but really out of place.