Matt Damon and Jon Bernthal are having a year for the ages. Between Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey crossing the billion-dollar mark and Bernthal's Spider-Man: Brand New Day swinging past $2 billion globally, these two are everywhere. But before all that, they teamed up for a different kind of epic—one that's now finding a whole new audience on streaming.
That film is Ford v Ferrari, James Mangold's 2019 racing drama that also starred Christian Bale and Caitríona Balfe. While it was a box office hit back then, pulling in $226 million worldwide against a $97 million budget, it never landed on a major U.S. streaming service. Now, in August 2026, it's become one of the most popular rentals and purchases on platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV, both in America and internationally.
Why Ford v Ferrari Is Racing Up the Charts
The movie's recent surge is a testament to its enduring appeal. With a 92% critics' score and 98% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes, it's clearly a crowd-pleaser. The story follows Carroll Shelby (Damon) and Ken Miles (Bale) as they battle corporate meddling and their own demons to build a car that can take on Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. It's a classic underdog tale, packed with thrilling race sequences and heartfelt performances.
For fans of Damon and Bernthal, this is a chance to see them in a different light—Damon as the pragmatic designer and Bernthal as a supporting player (he plays Shelby's right-hand man, Charlie Agapiou). But the real stars are the cars and the camaraderie.
If you're looking for more historical epics, check out our list of the greatest historical epics ever made. And for more on Damon's recent streaming success, his thriller The Rip with Ben Affleck was a massive hit on Netflix earlier this year.
A Year of Dominance for Damon and Bernthal
2026 has been nonstop for both actors. Damon's The Rip racked up over 100 million views on Netflix, making it one of the year's most-watched movies. Bernthal, meanwhile, has been riding high on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is now eyeing a spot among the highest-grossing films ever. He's also seen renewed interest in his Punisher crime thriller on Apple TV.
But Ford v Ferrari is a reminder that sometimes the best gems are the ones you discover later. If you haven't seen it yet, now's the perfect time to rent or buy it on Prime Video or Fandango at Home. And for more on what's coming next from these two, stay tuned to Collider.
In the meantime, you can also revisit Bernthal's underrated thriller Small Engine Repair on Netflix, or catch up on Nolan's Odyssey breaking box office records. The year may belong to the gods of Olympus, but it's also been a hell of a ride for these two mortals.
