Alan Ritchson and Hilary Swank's touching drama Ordinary Angels is leaving Netflix on 24 July. Based on a true story, the film was directed by Jon Gunn, and received rave reviews from critics upon its release in 2024.
Ordinary Angels follows Sharon Stevens (Swank), a hairdresser and salon owner whose drinking has become a point of concern with her friend and salon co-owner Rose.
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One night Sharon reads about Michelle Schmitt, a five-year-old in need of a life-saving liver transplant, who has recently lost her mum. Sharon becomes determined to help Michelle and her father Ed (Ritchson) who is struggling with medical debt.
The film is based on Sharon Stevens Evans' book Ordinary Angels, which tells the true story of how a Kentucky community rallied around one little girl during the 1994 North American cold wave.
It was adapted for the screen by actress and writer Meg Tilly alongside Kelly Fremon Craig, who penned the script for 2023's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
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On IMDB, Ordinary Angels has a 7.1/10 rating and 93 viewer reviews. One fan described the film as "breathtaking" adding: "From the start, it pulls you in and doesn't let go, delivering a powerful and emotional story that stays with you long after it ends."
Another viewer wrote: "From the very beginning, emotions were flowing, and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen for even a second.
"The storyline is so gripping that it keeps you wanting to know more, and the characters come to life in such a way that you're immediately invested in their journey."
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While Ritchson is best known for his role in Reacher, many viewers were pleasantly surprised with how he broke away from his usual tough guy image to play a doting father.
One fan wrote of his performance: "Alan Ritchson is surprisingly restrained and very good, moving away from more physical roles and showing real vulnerability and pain without overplaying it."
Ordinary Angels is streaming on Netflix.
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Stephanie is a freelance news writer, who previously covered WWE and AEW for Digital Spy.
After graduating with a degree in history from Queen Mary University, London, she studied journalism at Birkbeck University.
Outside of her work at Digital Spy, she writes about pop culture, with a special focus towards Irish media and how it intersects with politics.
You can read more of her work on her Substack page.
