'Netflix Effect' skyrockets old Mel Gibson movie to most popular viewing and fans are left wondering why

Mel Gibson has a hit movie on Netflix. 

The 68-year-old, who was recently spotted having a family dinner in Malibu, has the second most watched film on the streaming service.

The 'Netflix Effect' takes place when a show or movie surges in popularity after it's added to the platform.

That's exactly what happened with a little known 2022 film called On The Line, starring the Oscar winner, which has had a resurgence since it was added to the streamer.

The film is more popular than new adds including Lindsay Lohan's Irish Wish, Regina King's Shirley and Millie Bobby Brown's Damsel.

Mel Gibson's 2022 thriller On The Line is the second most popular film on Netflix, thanks to the 'Netflix Effect'

The only film more popular in the similar titled Mending the Line, another 2022 film, starring Succession's Brian Cox. 

In On the Line, Gibson stars as Elvis, a radio host you can call to talk to about 'all your issues and problems.'

Everything is going well workwise, until a caller named Gary, who has a grudge against Elvis, threatens his family and a game of digital cat and mouse begins.

The film received a 20-percent critics score and a 32-percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Digital Trends called it a great movie to watch with friends 'during a drinking game.'

Gibson used to be an A-list Hollywood star, heading blockbuster films such as Maverick and Ransom, after shooting to fame in the Mad Max and Lethal Weapons franchises.

He won an Oscar as Best Director for 1995's Braveheart. The film also earned the Best Picture award.

The Passion of the Christ director's career came tumbling down after he was arrested for driving under the influence in Malibu in 2006. While being processed by police, he unleashed an anti-Semitic rant against the arresting officer. 

On leaked tapes released 2010, he could be heard screaming racist remarks, including the n-word a then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, who also accused him of physical violence. He pleaded no-contest to a charge of misdemeanor spousal battery in 2011, and was sentenced to three years of probation, domestic violence counseling and two days of community service.

In On the Line, Gibson stars as Elvis, a radio host you can call to talk to about 'all your issues and problems.' Everything is going well workwise, until a caller named Gary threatens his family and a game of digital cat and mouse begins

The thriller enjoyed a surge in popularity after it was added to the platform, besting Lindsay Lohan 's Irish Wish, Regina King's Shirley and Millie Bobby Brown 's Damsel

The actor also has a history of making anti-LGBTQ comments.

Since then, he has appeared in mostly low-budget, and low-rated action films, such as On the Line. 

But a few A-list stars have hired him to work in some mainstream movies, including The Expendables 3, with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as Father Stu, with Mark Wahlberg. 

Gibson used to enjoy A-list status in Hollywood after rising to fame in the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon franchises.  He won an Oscar as Best Director for 1995's Braveheart. The film also earned the Best Picture award  (Pictured in Los Angeles in March 1996)

The Passion of the Christ director's career came tumbling down after he made antisemitic remarks when arrested for driving under the influence in Malibu in 2006. In 2011, he pleaded no-contest to misdemeanor spousal battery  (2011 mugshot) 

A few A-list stars have hired him to work in some mainstream movies, including The Expendables 3, with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as Father Stu, with Mark Wahlberg  (Pictured in Beverly Hills in April 2022)

The Passion of the Christ director has several upcoming project in front of and behind the camera, including Flight Risk with Mark Wahlberg and the fantasy adventure Boys of Summer (Pictured in Paris in June 2021)

He directed 2016's Oscar winning war movie Hacksaw Ridge, starring Andrew Garfield as Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who rescued 75 men during the Battle of Okinawa without firing a single shot. 

The World War II drama is still rated as one of the 'most liked' movies on Netflix after it debuted on the service in September 2023. 

According to IMDB, Gibson recently finished directing Flight Risk, a thriller starring Mark Wahlberg, Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery and Topher Grace. Gibson is also a producer on the project.

He will be seen next in the fantasy adventure Boys of Summer with Lorraine Bracco and Mason Thames.  The film is expected to be released in August.