The movie version of Hillbilly Elegy — based on JD Vance’s memoir of the same name — is doing roaring business for Netflix, being featured on the app’s landing page and immediately drawing viewer attention.
No shortage of Netflix users were thrilled to see Vance’s real-life portrayed hardships in the Ron Howard-directed film coming just hours after he rose to broad national prominence after former President Donald Trump chose him to be his 2024 running mate, as Breitbart News reported.
Vance published Hillbilly Elegy — which vividly recounts his impoverished upbringing in the Rust Belt — in 2016.
It details a life that took in service in the U.S. Marine Corps and duty in the Iraq War before returning to the U.S. Vance then went on to graduate from Ohio State University before earning his law degree from Harvard Law School.
According to ABC News, Hillbilly Elegy has sold 1.6 million copies to date. Vance was elected to his U.S. Senate seat in 2022 and his life story is now drawing more admirers than ever before as Netflix users were thrilled to see his real-life hardships.
J.D. Vance's ‘Hillbilly Elegy' is #4 on Netflix Charts — World of Reel https://t.co/d7TfAayRs8
— DSP (@DonnaPence5) July 18, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Last night, I watched the #Netflix movie based on the book "Hillbilly Elegy" to gain an insight into vice presidential candidate @JDVance1. The story of his Appalachian upbringing is profound—to say #JDVance has come a long way is an understatement. Trailer ↓. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/2vPD9llZqI
— Cole Cameron (@colecameron) July 17, 2024
Cry Harder: Variety Is VERY CONCERNED That 'Hillbilly Elegy' Is Surging on Netflix and Amazon – Twitchy https://t.co/EMD79wWvRF
— PixieSS ☕️ (@pixiejss) July 18, 2024
Forbes reports the movie version as directed by A Beautiful Mind Oscar winner Ron Howard, Hillbilly Elegy was released in 2020.
As plenty applauded the movie others raged at Netflix for featuring Hillbilly Elegy so prominently, with some threatening to cancel their subscriptions.
Watching Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix to see just how much of a pathetic traitorous hypocrite this MFer really is. #JDVance
— J. Ryan Sommers, Author (@JRyanSommers) July 17, 2024
Netflix just recommended Hillbilly Elegy to me, and now I have to cancel my subscription...
— Roger ZenAF (@RogerZenAF) July 18, 2024
Ok, @netflix are you kidding me? Do I have to cancel my subscription? I logged on to discover that Hillbilly Elegy is the #4 movie WHY ARE YOU SHOWING IT ARE YOU FASCISTS??? Goddamn it. I guess I have to quit --it's been a great 15 years.
— Anxious Pickle 🟧🟦🟣 (@pdnell) July 18, 2024
As of Thursday, the film was trending upward at No. 4 on Netflix’s Top 10 list of the most-watched movies in the U.S.
On Tuesday, Hillbilly Elegy was No. 6 on the list.
