The Intern: De Niro’s Resurrection from Cine Obscurity

It’s been a rocky road for Robert De Niro as he attempts to juggle his legacy alongside the mixed reviews for The Alto Knights. However, like a stubborn cockroach in a poorly-lit kitchen, another film has clambered back into public consciousness a decade later: The Intern.

In this 2015 workplace comedy, De Niro finds himself sidling up to Anne Hathaway and Rene Russo. Our beloved 70-year-old widower, Ben Whittaker (a character who’s impeccably sharp despite the existence of Medicare), gets himself a senior intern gig at an online fashion site—because nothing screams ‘timeless wisdom’ like wearing trendy shoes in your seventh decade of life.

Netflix, in its infinite wisdom—or lack thereof—recently dusted off this flick, and lo and behold, it rocketed to the number one spot on U.S. streaming charts, which oddly seems to be the new pinnacle of cinematic success. I mean, who cares about box office receipts when you can ride the wave of binge-watching millennials, right?

The film did more than just collect cobwebs after its 2015 release; it grossed a whopping $194 million off a budget of $35 million. That’s right—five times its modest investment, like a pension fund achieving unexpected growth. Somehow, this inspiring tale of a man in his golden years deciding to intern in a world of social media narcissism has found a second life. Critics may have bestowed only a paltry 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences, bless their hearts, offered a robust 73%.

Ah, the magic of movie metrics! Who doesn’t love watching old men take a stab at modern workplace culture while basking in the glow of a screen? I, for one, can’t get enough of wrinkled wisdom navigating the treacherous waters of emoji-laden texts and snack-fueled Zoom meetings.

Nancy Meyers, the mastermind behind this timeless piece of cinema, clearly forecasted the film’s reemergence without any outside assistance, which is impressive given that she hasn’t graced our screens with anything new since. Kudos to her for keeping her audience on the edge of their emotionally stable seats, anticipating the next installment of tranquility and well-placed lamps in upscale kitchens.

In the end, The Intern is more than a film; it’s a cultural phenomenon that reveals something deeply ironic about our society. If only De Niro could score senior discounts for his latest roles, perhaps then we’d be able to avoid the existential dread of watching our cherished actors engage in age-defying antics. A classic case of “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks unless there’s a streaming service involved.”