Why ‘The Long Game’ Dethroned ‘Axel F’ on Netflix (Guest Column)

There’s been a lot of media commentary recently about an independent film called “The Long Game” that unseated “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” from its No. 1 slot on Netflix in the U.S. “The Long Game,” a period feel-good drama starring Jay Hernandez, Cheech Marin and Dennis Quaid, has also grabbed attention by ranking as Nextflix’s sixth most popular film on a global basis.

In my view, none of the various headlines spurred by “The Long Game” really understood the data aspect that drove what happened with the movie. They didn’t give credit where credit is properly due. The headline I would write would be “Small-Budget, PG, Period, Indie Film with U.S. Latinos Portrayed as Heroes Dethrones $150 Million Hollywood Franchise.” Yes, it’s a bit long but hopefully you get my point.

The real significance that has been missed in this David vs Goliath story is that “The Long Game” has every element that Hollywood would normally run away from: a PG rating, a small budget, and a mostly Latino cast … playing golf! Not crossing a border, not gang banging, nope — none of what we usually see Latinos doing on the big screen. Directed by Julio Quintana, “The Long Game” is a movie about Latinos playing golf. Thank you, Netflix, for putting this movie, produced by Mucho Mas Media and Fifth Season, on your streaming service! This on top of all the hit films and TV shows with Latino leads that are now available on Netflix confirm you are leading industry awareness of this massive cohort and its tremendous and continuing growth.

For perspective, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” starring Eddie Murphy had approximately 30 times the budget of “The Long Game,” which unseated “Axel F” only two days after it was offered on the Netflix carousel on July 13 (“Axel F” dropped on July 3). “Axel F” was also R-rated. There were lots of guns, car chases and explosions. Most of the Black characters in the film were police officers, lawyers and wealthy people who liked to shop, which is a good thing. The Latino characters, however, were narcos with tattooed faces and automatic weapons shooting up Beverly Hills, as well as prostitutes, drug smugglers and cocaine dealers.

On the other hand, in “The Long Game,” what American audiences saw were themes of family unity, struggle, and Latino people overcoming horrible racist treatment yet still winning the day. There were no giant explosions or senseless beatings and there were no tired old stereotypes. It would not surprise me to learn that the viewing audience wasn’t just Latinos, but families of all types, people who love golf and a broad older demo that wanted a feel-good story where the planet doesn’t end with the traditional excruciating 15 minutes of fiery explosions or a zombie apocalypse. What a novel concept.

Let’s review: U.S. Latinos buy 29% of all movie tickets and account for about 27% of subscribers to streaming content platforms. And in study after study, U.S. Latinos say that they want to see themselves represented in a positive light not as a tired old trope. Maybe just maybe that’s why “The Long Game” shot to No. 1 on Netflix.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘The Long Game’ Review: Young Latinos Earn Respect and Victory on the Golf Course in Uplifting Drama

A reality that most studio heads are well aware of is that if the U.S. Latino audience didn’t show up for your wide-release movie, you will not be able to open that movie at the old-fashioned multiplex. We’ve all seen the stories about the economic muscle of the Latino cohort (more on that below). Yet, U.S. Latinos still only account for about 3.6% of all leads in TV and film, and Latino creatives continue to under-index as directors and writers.

A real problem that many in the Latino creative community struggle with is the concern that Hollywood knows that we are buying tickets (often in the majority) to the movies with tired old stereotypes that they continue to release. I’ve actually heard executives say, “If it isn’t broke, why fix it?” The success of “The Long Game” is a testament to the fact that it is indeed “broke.” When given a choice, like what just happened on Netflix, we can see that Latinos do want to see themselves and their stories, especially if they are well done and aspirational. There just needs to be more of them.

Case in point, global business consulting giant McKinsey & Co. recently released a report concluding that by including U.S. Latinos in more authentic stories in front of and behind the camera, Hollywood could increase its revenue by up to $18 billion dollars a year. That should be music to shareholder’s ears at a time when media stocks have been in decline. Perhaps by investing in the one cohort that is experiencing significant growth and is also crossing over in talent and stories, media companies could stop focusing on mergers to grow their bottom line and instead look for the top line growth that can happen with this massively underserved cohort.

In 2019, Steve Forbes declared: “U.S. Latinos are the cavalry that will come to the rescue of the American economy. Last I checked, Hollywood is also part of that economy.”

Below are just a few data points to back that up:

The bottom line: Hollywood needs to study these numbers and the success of “The Long Game.” Making meaningful, data-driven investments about reaching the U.S. Latino cohort in English should not be a conversation about DE&I, but instead about P&L.

Jeff Valdez is a veteran writer, producer and director and a partner in New Cadence Productions. He is the creator and showrunner of the Nickelodeon comedy “The Brothers Garcia” and the HBO Max sequel series “The Garcias.” Valdez is also serial entrepreneur who was founder and CEO of Si TV, the first English-language cable channel targeting Latinos (now operating as Fuse). He was named one of top 50 marketers in the U.S. by Advertising Age and one of CNN’s Top 50 People Who Matter.

(Pictured: “The Long Game”)