An action thriller from the ’90s starring Gary Oldman is surging up the streaming charts after joining HBO Max. Oldman spent that decade appearing in films like JFK, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Scarlet Letter, The Fifth Element and Air Force One. He also directed and wrote the drama Nil by Mouth, which won Best British Film and Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTAs.

Another ’90s thriller on Oldman’s acting resume is Léon: The Professional, which came out in September 1994. Jean Reno leads the film as the titular character, a hitman who protects a 12-year-old girl after corrupt agents kill her family. Oldman plays Norman Stansfield, the DEA agent who commits the heinous act. Their co-stars include Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello, Michael Badalucco, Ellen Greene, Peter Appel and Adam Busch.

Léon: The Professional Has Set Its Sights On HBO Max’s Top 10

It’s been 32 years since Léon: The Professional was released in theaters, but the film is still finding success after recently being added to HBO Max in several countries around the world. Léon is currently No. 3 on the Warner Bros.-owned streaming platform’s global Top 10 list, behind Supergirl and In the Lost Lands. Beast of War, Ice Road: Vengeance, The Bikeriders, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Hamnet, The Last Samurai and Winter’s Bone round out the rest of the Top 10.

Léon: The Professional first entered HBO Max’s Top 10 on September 25 and has consistently stayed on the list ever since. The film is performing the best in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Salvador, Uruguay and Venezuela. It’s not streaming on HBO Max in the United States but is available for free on Tubi.

The Thriller Remains An All-Time Favorite

Its high placement on HBO Max’s streaming chart proves that Léon: The Professional remains an all-time favorite, even in the year 2026. Reviews have always been positive for the Luc Besson-directed film, which has a nearly perfect audience score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it Oldman’s highest-rated film on the Popcornmeter; the critic score is a solid 76%.

After starring in Léon, Oldman appeared in the Harry Potter franchise, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Oppenheimer. On the small screen, he’s currently starring in Slow Horses season 6, the Apple TV thriller that has earned the actor multiple nominations at the Emmys, Golden Globes, Actor Awards and BAFTAs. Not only does Gary Oldman gravitate to the thriller genre time and again, but fans do as well, as evidenced by Léon: The Professional‘s current streaming popularity.

Release Date

September 14, 1994

Runtime

111 minutes

Director

Luc Besson

Writers

Luc Besson

Producers

Claude Besson