Kevin Bacon’s Bloody Action-Horror Show With 84% RT Score Becomes Streaming Hit

Kevin Bacon has long been a movie star, but he's now also finding success on TV. Bacon will be best known to many audiences for starring in Footloose (1984), but he would go on to appear in a number of influential and memorable movies in the decades that followed. He starred in Tremors (1990), for example, before appearing in movies like JFK (1991), A Few Good Men (1992), and Apollo 13 (1995), Mystic River (2003), Frost/ Nixon (2008), and X-Men: First Class (2011).

Bacon remained a prominent figure in movies into the 2020s, though the types of roles he's taking on are a little different and even more varied now. He's made a splash in horror, for example, appearing in You Should Have Left (2020), They/Them (2022), and MaXXXine (2023), and he's also slated to appear in the long-gestating Toxic Avenger movie, which is due out later this year. His latest project continues this horror trend, but it puts the star front and center in his own TV show, which is now winning over audiences.

The Bondsman Has Become A Major Hit On Streaming

Kevin Bacon's New Show Is Beating Out The Competition

The Bondsman has ascended to become a top 10 streaming success. Created by Grainger David, the supernatural action-horror series features Bacon starring as Hub Halloran, a resurrected bounty hunter who returns from the dead to fight demons while getting a second chance at love and a forgotten musical career. Bacon is joined in The Bondsman's cast by Jennifer Nettles, Damon Herriman, and Beth Grant, among others, and the critical response so far has been very favorable, with the show sporting an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Kevin Bacon in action pose in The Bondsman with Peter Horton in Brimstone (1998)

Kevin Bacon's New Prime Horror Series Feels Like An Unofficial Remake Of This Great, Forgotten 1990s X-Files Rival

The Bondsman casts Kevin Bacon as a demon hunting bounty hunter, and the premise might sound familiar to fans of cult horror series Brimstone.

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Following the release of all eight episodes on Prime Video on April 3, new data from Reelgood now reveals that The Bondsman ranks as the third most popular title on streaming in the U.S. for the week of April 3 – 9. The action-horror series beats some major titles, including MobLand (2025–), Dying for Sex (2025), and The Life List (2025), but comes behind A Complete Unknown (2024) and The White Lotus (2021–). When looking only at TV shows, The Bondsman comes in even higher at second place. Check out the full top 10 list for movies and TV shows below:

Reelgood Top 10 List – Movies & TV (April 3 – 9)
1	The White Lotus
2	A Complete Unknown
3	The Bondsman
4	MobLand
5	Dying for Sex
6	The Life List
7	The Pitt
8	Anora
9	Tombstone
10	Holland

What This Means For The Bondsman

Why The Reviews For The Prime Video Show Are So Positive

Though it's not entirely surprising to see The Bondsman make the top 10 list given it was only just released, its position near the top is notable. Critics so far have praised the series for the charismatic lead performance from Bacon, as well as the show's unique tone, which combines humor, horror, and action into a compelling experience. In his The Bondsman review for ScreenRant, Felipe Rangel awards the show a score of seven out of 10, highlighting the strong cast and likening the show to the Evil Dead franchise:

The Bondsman is definitely an acquired taste. Fans of horror projects like the Evil Dead franchise or the Preacher TV show will find a lot to enjoy in Prime Video's new supernatural series. The Bondsman is unapologetically campy, knowing exactly what tone it is going for and never backing down. Sure, there are many serious moments throughout the show's eight episodes, but the comedy is the beating heart of the series and, for the most part, it works.

The Bondsman has not been billed as a limited series, meaning its streaming success bodes well for a potential season 2. Nothing has been announced just yet, though, and a formal renewal, if one does come, likely won't arrive for several weeks or months as the show's full performance is analyzed. For now, though, The Bondsman's success is a clear sign that Bacon remains as compelling as ever to audiences.

Source: Reelgood