After spending years in development limbo,Distant— now retitledLong Distance—is a success on Hulu! StarringAnthony Ramos(In the Heights)andNaomi Scott(Aladdin),thesci-fi thrillercurrentlysits at No. 5 on Hulu’s U.S. Top 10 list. Despite a slow start, the film has gradually made its way up the charts.Long Distancepeaked at No. 2 on July 17, 2025, two weeks after its June 20, 2025, release.The sleeper hit was filmed in 2020 and was slated for a release in 2022through Universal Pictures. However, several delays led to the film finding its home on the streaming service.
According toFlixPatrol,Long Distancehas beaten titles such asWrath of Man(2021) andThe Equalizer 3.As of July 29, 2025, though, it sits behindHigh Rollers(2025),In the Lost Lands(2025),The Assessment(2024), andThe Amateur(2025).Despite that, audience reactions to the film have been mixed.Long Distancecurrently holds a 47% Popcornmeter Score onRotten Tomatoes. However, given that the score has been generated from a little over 50 reviews, it is subject to change in the coming weeks.
Directed byJosh GordonandWill Speck, Long Distancefollows asteroid miner Andy Ramirez (Ramos), who is stranded on a distant alien planetafter his ship crashes. His fellow crew member Naomi Calloway (Scott) becomes his only hope, as she guides him over the radio from her escape pod that has landed miles away. Ramos was recently seen in Marvel’sIronheart(2025), while Scott’s latest project wasSmile 2(2024).
Anthony Ramos Addresses the Criticism Against ‘Ironheart’
Ramos, who takes on the role of the villainous Hood inMarvel’s latest miniseries,Ironheart,spoke toBuzzFeedabout thenegative attention the show has receivedsince its premiere on June 20, 2025. The actor compared the experience of working on a Marvel project with his time on theTransformersfranchise, and noted thatcritical reviews are just part of the process.“Everybody’s going to say whatever they want to say,” he added.
TheHamiltonstar admitted that sinceIronhearttook risks with its storytelling, he was expecting the viewers to have different opinions. “At least they’re talking about it,” joked the actor. Ramos also pointed to the unique nature of Marvel’s fanbase compared to other franchises he has been a part of. He was specifically surprised to see thatmost of them knew every small detailabout all the characters in the show.
Long Distance,also known asDistant,is now streaming on Hulu.
Long Distance
Sources:FlixPatrol,Rotten Tomatoes,BuzzFeed
