Netflix to Remove John Travolta's Critically Panned Film 'The Fanatic' Soon

Not every movie in Netflix's library was a smash hit. The platform includes more than a few films that were box office busts and flopped with fans and critics alike.

One of those movies 2019's The Fanatic, is leaving Netflix soon. The psychological thriller, directed by former Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst and starring John Travolta, will disappear from the streaming service on June 12, according to What's on Netflix.

That gives users a couple of more weeks to check out the film, but judging by The Fanatic's history, we don't think a.) people will be rushing to Netflix to stream it or b.) it will be missed when its gone.

What is The Fanatic about?

Travolta stars as Moose, a man with autism who develops an obsession with his favorite actor, Hunter Dunbar, who is played by Devon Sawa. Moose eventually begins stalking Dunbar, leading to a shocking confrontation between the two.

Ana Golja, Jacob Grodnik, James Paxton and Denny Mendez also have major roles.

The Fanatic bombed--big time

By pretty much any metric, The Fanatic was a failure. Released nationwide on August 30, 2019, the film grossed only $3,152 total across 52 theaters on its first day.

"For starters, it is the worst Travolta vehicle in some time, and coming just a year after the double whammy of "Gotti" and "Speed Kills," that is really saying something," wrote Variety's Dennis Harvey at the time. "It also finds him entering that unfortunate pantheon of presumably well-intentioned performances of differently-abled characters that somehow emerge a compendium of the most cringe-inducing clichés of people with limited faculties."

The movie has a measly 15% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 4.2/10 mark on IMDB. Over on Metacritic, it's more of the same, with an overall score of 18, and "overwhelming dislike."

The Fanatic was nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Director and Worst Actor at the 40th Razzie Awards, with Travolta winning Worst Actor for his work in The Fanatic and Trading Paint.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 2:21 PM.