Queen Latifah's 2004 Taxi Remake Rides High on Netflix Charts

In the fickle world of streaming, an old chestnut can suddenly feel like the freshest thing on the menu. That is exactly what happened when Taxi, the 2004 action-comedy starring Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon, sped into Netflix's global Top 10 more than two decades after its original release. For a movie that critics practically ran over with a monster truck, the streaming revival was a genuine head-scratcher—and a reminder that audiences often call the shots, not the reviewers.

The film cast Queen Latifah as Belle Williams, a speed-demon bicycle messenger turned taxi driver who knows every shortcut in New York City. When Detective Andrew Washburn, played by Jimmy Fallon, loses his driver's license, he basically conscripts Belle into chasing a crew of bank robbers. The setup was lifted from Luc Besson's French comedy of the same name, which had already spawned four sequels across the pond. Tim Story, who later became a household name with Barbershop, Fantastic Four, and Ride Along, directed the American remake.

The ensemble cast was a quirky time capsule of mid-2000s star power. Gisele Bündchen, Patton Oswalt, Ann-Margret, Ana Cristina de Oliveira, and Jennifer Esposito all popped up in supporting roles. On paper, the movie was a box office success, hauling in $71.3 million worldwide against a reported $25 million budget. But the critical response was rough around the edges—Taxi still sits at a rotten 9% on Rotten Tomatoes. In Hollywood, though, money talks and bad reviews walk.

Fast forward to the summer of 2025, and the old ride found a new engine. Netflix's global chart for the week of August 18 through August 24 placed Taxi at No. 7 among English-language movies, racking up 4.3 million views and 7 million viewing hours. That is no small potatoes, especially considering the movie was not even available in the United States, one of Netflix's biggest markets. It still cracked the Top 10 in 50 individual regions across five continents and took the No. 1 spot in Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, and Jamaica.

The streaming numbers were strong enough to leave several newer titles in the dust. Taxi finished above 2014's Blended at No. 10 and 2021's PAW Patrol: The Movie at No. 8. For a 21-year-old comedy that many had written off, beating out family-friendly animated fare and a star-studded rom-com was a little like winning a street race in a cab with mismatched hubcaps.

The comeback also proved that Queen Latifah remains a big-screen draw, even though most of her 2020s work has been on television. She spent five seasons fronting The Equalizer from 2021 to 2025, and before that she earned an Oscar nomination for Chicago, the 2002 musical that took home Best Picture. Her movie resume includes the Ice Age franchise, Hairspray, What Happens in Vegas, Valentine's Day, and Scary Movie 3. With Taxi suddenly trending around the globe, the writing on the wall was clear: her name still carries weight.

Looking ahead, Queen Latifah has more feature projects in the pipeline. She is attached to Ice Age: Boiling Point, set to debut in 2027, and Girls Trip 2, which is currently in development. As 2026 rolls in, the streaming boost serves as a timely reminder that her star power has not cooled. If the Taxi surge is any indication, those films could be in for a warm welcome. The old adage says you cannot keep a good woman down, and in Queen Latifah's case, you cannot keep her taxi off the charts either. 🚕🍿