Film critics have an incredibly difficult job. They must watch movies and pick them apart, all the way down to the minute details a casual audience might not notice or care about. Netflix has become a prolific producer of films in recent years, garnering Oscar recognition like the recent Best Picture nominations for Don't Look Up, Roma, and The Power of the Dog.
Much of the time, critics and audiences agree on the quality of a film; good, bad, or somewhere in-between. Other times, however, critics and viewers diverge on their opinions, with audiences finding more to love in the films than the critics could.
8 Don't Look Up Has an Important Message
Adam McKay’s political satire from Netflix, Don't Look Up, made an impressive award run (surely thanks to its stacked cast), but its critical reception has been less-than-ideal. With actors like Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Timotheé Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and more famous faces gracing the screen, there’s no surprise some criticisms included the film's writing and longer runtime.
The audience reception of the film has been more positive. Seeing a satire concerning the world’s treatment of a comet barreling towards Earth mirror the planet’s climate disaster so eerily, may seem like a wake-up call to some. Perhaps viewers took the film's "Just Look Up" slogan to heart.
7 The Ritual's Monster Makes it Worth Watching
A group of college friends go on a hike in a Swedish forest, but suddenly, they discover they're being followed. Horror movies are often the victims of poor critic reviews and The Ritual is no different. Critiques of the film include the ending's clichés and the struggle the middle's writing has keeping viewers engaged.
The shining star of the film which keeps hold of the audience is one of the scariest movie monsters in recent memory. Eerie and haunting, the deer-like creature doesn't show its entire form until the climax of the film, and when it does, the audience finally realizes why they've been so on edge.
6 Ryan Reynolds is Himself in Red Notice
Not surprising to anyone, Red Notice showcases a classic Ryan Reynolds character; witty, inappropriate, and full of smart quips. Reynolds acts alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Gal Gadot in this heist thriller which entertained fans with its humor and action.
Unfortunately, critics didn't quite see the same merits in the Netflix original. It only earned a critic score of 36% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to a much more appreciative audience score of 92%. Negative reviews of the film mentioned the lack of chemistry between the main cast and Ryan Reynolds' character being too repetitive compared to his past filmography.
5 Hillbilly Elegy Had Some Memorable Performances
With a 6.7 on IMDb but only a critic score of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, Hillbilly Elegy, based on the memoir of the same name, wasn't a hit with the critics. The star-studded cast of Amy Adams and Glenn Close put on a great performance that obviously worked for the general audience earning a Rotten Tomatoes audience score was 83%. The critical reception didn't bode well for them, however, and Glenn Close even won a Razzie for her performance where her Oscar nomination fell short.
Viewers were still happy to see a memorable and heartfelt story told on screen by talented and established actors, and while Glenn Close and Amy Adams didn't get their Oscars this time, fans had hope with the impressive performances by both of them.
4 Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile Was a New Path For Zac Efron
For true-crime fans, seeing Zac Efron outgrow his High School Musical days to play one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, Ted Bundy, was a refreshing change brought by Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. This film follows Bundy through the eyes of his girlfriend, Liz Kendall (played by Lily Collins), as she discovers just what kind of man he truly is. While audiences found Efron to be a convincing Ted Bundy, some critics disagree with the idea of people like Bundy receiving more attention than their victims.
3 The Devil All the Time Was Carried By its Cast
A book adaptation of Daniel Ray Pollock's novel of the same name, The Devil All the Time stars the likes of Tom Holland, Riley Keough, Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan, and more. Its eerie story follows Tom Holland’s character from tragedy to tragedy, but for some critics, it dragged on for too long.
For fans, however, the cast makes up for the film’s length. Robert Pattinson gives an especially strong performance as a reverend with poor intentions — and an enthusiastic accent to match. No spoilers here, but Captain America: Civil War isn’t the only time Tom Holland and Sebastian Stan clash on screen.
2 In The Tall Grass Was a Classic Stephen King Adaptation
Based on the collaboration between Stephen King and his son Joe Hill, this movie definitely had some disturbing content taken from the original story. As such, it's no wonder some critics didn't find the same redeeming qualities for In the Tall Grass as many horror fans did.
As the name would suggest, it’s a disorienting story about siblings lost in a mind-bending field of grass, but some critics felt there was simply too much happening in this adaptation compared to the novella it came from.
1 Bird Box Was a Viral Sensation
One might be hard-pressed to find someone who didn't see Bird Box when it went super-viral upon its release in 2018. This sci-fi thriller made audiences ask themselves what they would do if they could no longer use their sense of sight as a means to survive. It was also a story about motherhood, but critics wondered about the film’s proximity to the stories like John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening.
For viewers, there was tension and action keeping them on the edge of their seats wondering what would happen next to Sandra Bullock’s character and the two children she was tasked with taking care for in this new dangerous, dystopian world. Still, some critics and fans alike would prefer Krasinski’s silent universe over this one.