A largely forgotten sci-fi movie led by Scarlett Johansson has become a streaming hit. Lucy came out in 2014 and found considerable critical and commercial success, but was quickly overshadowed by the Black Widow’s stars following box office triumphs. Now, it has found an even wider audience on HBO Max.
Scarlett Johansson-led Lucy finds an audience on HBO Max
Lucy currently holds the #4 spot on the HBO Max worldwide streaming movies chart as of January 30, 2026, according to Flixpatrol. The movie presently has a popularity score of 192. The other entries in the HBO Max Top 10 list are Sinners (463), One Battle After Another (266), 33 Photos from the Ghetto (201), Death of a Unicorn (185), Legion (148), Blink Twice (139), Alien: Romulus (138), Blackhat (138), and Fighting (110).
Notably, the data from Flixpatrol isn’t necessarily complete, but it does give a broader picture.
French filmmaker Luc Besson wrote and directed Lucy. Some of his other well-known credits include La Femme Nikita, Léon: The Professional, The Fifth Element, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec, and Dogman.
Lucy tells the story of Lucy Miller (Johansson), a young woman who becomes a drug mule against her wishes. After the synthetic drug CPH4 is accidentally released into her system, Lucy gains incredible abilities. The cast also includes Morgan Freeman as Professor Samuel Norman, Choi Min-sik as Mr. Jang, Amr Waked as Pierre Del Rio, and Pilou Asbæk as Richard.
Lucy found huge commercial success, taking $469 million at the global box office. The movie currently has a 67% approval rating on the review-aggregating site Rotten Tomatoes. Paul Whitington of The Irish Independent wrote, “Lucy is a brash, breezy and breathlessly paced thriller, with a high-concept plot that falls apart the moment you start thinking about it. But Besson’s camera moves so fast that you rarely get the chance.”
