It's been a rough week for Tom Cruise. His ambitious political satire, Digger, has become one of the biggest box-office flops in recent memory, and now his streaming dominance is slipping too. While fans have been rallying around the actor by revisiting his classics—like the Jack Reacher films on Prime Video and Eyes Wide Shut on HBO Max—his biggest modern hit, Top Gun: Maverick, has just lost its crown on Paramount+.
According to FlixPatrol, Top Gun: Maverick had been ruling the global Paramount+ viewership charts for days. The 2022 blockbuster, which single-handedly revived the theatrical experience, grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide and earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination. It also boasts a near-perfect 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it a perennial favorite. But now, an unexpected challenger has taken the top spot—a movie that doesn't even have a Rotten Tomatoes score.
A David vs. Goliath Battle on Paramount+
The film that has overtaken Maverick is The Last Stand of Ellen Cole, a neo-Western that premiered in 2024. It tells the story of an elderly woman who defends her Montana ranch from a greedy land developer. Starring Lin Shaye, known for her roles in the Insidious franchise, the movie has no listed reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and no Wikipedia page. Yet, it's clearly resonating with audiences, who are drawing comparisons to Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone and even the Rambo action series.
The Paramount+ algorithm seems to be playing a key role here, likely recommending the film to fans of Yellowstone and other Sheridan shows. This isn't the first time a Sheridan-adjacent project has made waves—Guy Ritchie's MobLand recently enjoyed a long run on the charts, and Tulsa King's fourth season is set to return in October 2026. The neo-Western genre is clearly thriving on the platform.
While Top Gun: Maverick remains a beloved classic, its defeat by an underdog like The Last Stand of Ellen Cole is a testament to the power of streaming algorithms and the enduring appeal of Westerns. For those who haven't seen it, The Last Stand of Ellen Cole is now streaming on Paramount+. And for fans of the genre, it's worth checking out alongside other recent Western hits like DiCaprio's Oscar-winning Western on HBO Max.
As for Cruise, his fans remain loyal, but the streaming landscape is ever-changing. Top Gun: Maverick may have lost its top spot, but it's still a must-watch for action fans. Meanwhile, The Last Stand of Ellen Cole proves that sometimes the most unexpected films can capture the audience's imagination.
