The 2012 sci-fi blockbuster Battleship, loosely based on the classic naval board game, has arrived on Netflix in the United States as of 1 September, giving the much-derided flop a chance to find a new audience 14 years after its cinema release. Directed by Peter Berg, the film imagines a US naval crew forced to fight off an alien invasion using old-fashioned tactics after their ships become trapped inside a force field, blending elements of Independence Day and Crimson Tide. Its streaming debut is notable because the film has long been remembered as a costly Hollywood misfire despite an eye-catching cast.

Battleship starred Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson and Jesse Plemons, among others, and holds just a 33% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes against a more favourable 54% audience score, with reviewers criticising its thin characters and formulaic plot. Although it grossed over $300 million worldwide, that failed to cover its roughly $200 million production budget plus substantial marketing costs, compounded by weak domestic ticket sales, cementing its reputation as a box-office disappointment.