Not every movie new on Netflix in June 2024 was embraced by critics, especially those starring Will Farrell or Shailene Woodley.
Of course, just because a movie doesn’t resonate with critics doesn’t mean that it won’t find an audience on Netflix.
The venerable streaming service has given new life to many movies over the years that didn’t get some love from critics and audiences, yet have managed to make it onto the streaming channel’s weekly Top 10 Movies chart either globally or in the U.S., if not both.
ForbesHere Are All The Movies Coming To Netflix In JuneBy Tim Lammers
One recent example of a film defying critics is Matt Damon’s 2016 monster movie The Great Wall, which was splattered with negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes with a 35% “rotten” rating, based on 238 reviews. Despite the negative critical reception of the film, The Great Wall managed to scale upward to make both the Global and U.S. Top 10 Movies charts on Netflix.
MORE FOR YOU
More recently, Rotten Tomatoes critics shredded Jennifer Lopez’s new Netflix movie Atlas but it was the streamer’s most watched movie after only three days on the streamer.
Here’s a look at the 10 worst-reviewed movies new on Netflix in June, according to Rotten Tomatoes reviewers.
10. ‘Kicking & Screaming’ (2005)
Will Ferrell stars as Phil Weston in this sports comedy, a youth soccer coach who has never lived up to his competitive dad’s (Robert Duvall) expectations. Phil is put to the test when his soccer team faces off against his dad Buck’s team.
Rotten Tomatoes critics weren’t impressed with Kicking & Screaming’s impressive lineup—including a cameo by legendary NFL coach Mike Ditka—giving it a 41% “rotten” rating based on 142 reviews.
Audiences liked Kicking & Screaming a tiny bit more, as RT verified users gave the film a 43% “rotten” Audience Score based on 50,000-plus ratings.
9. ‘Two Can Play That Game’ (2001)
Like Kicking & Screaming, the romantic comedy Two Can Play That Game has an impressive cast, including Vivica A. Fox, Morris Chestnut, Anthony Anderson, Gabriel Union and Mo’Nique.
Fox plays Shante, a woman who gives expert relationship advice to her girlfriends about keeping their boyfriends on the straight and narrow.
ForbesObscure Sci-Fi Movie 'Upgrade' Surges On Netflix Global Top 10 ChartBy Tim Lammers
Shante, however, finds that following her own advice isn’t so easy when her beau Keith (Chestnut) shows he is just as adept at the relationship game.
Rotten Tomatoes critics didn’t find Two Can Play That Game to be an even match, though, giving the film a 40% “rotten” rating based on 62 reviews. Viewers largely disagreed with the critical assessment of the film as more than 25,000 verified users awarded Two Can Play That Game with an 83% positive Audience score.
8. ‘The Devil’s Own’ (1997)
As the 1997 crime thriller The Devil’s Own proves, having two A-list global superstars does not guarantee a positive review from critics. In The Devil’s Own, Harrison Ford stars as New York police Officer Tom O’Meara, who unknowingly becomes entangled in a deadly plot by Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt), a member of the Irish Republican Army.
Rotten Tomatoes critics refused to engage in the plot of The Devil’s Own, giving it a 37% “rotten” rating based on 41 reviews. Viewers like the film a bit more, giving it a 41% “rotten” Audience Score based on more than 25,000 user ratings.
7. ‘Dune’ (1984)
Nearly four decades before writer-director Denis Villeneuve tackled the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 novel Dune, legendary filmmaker David Lynch tried his hand at bringing the story of the messianic hero Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan) to life on the big screen.
ForbesOriginal 'Dune' Movie From 1984 Coming To Netflix In JuneBy Tim Lammers
Critics buried Dune in reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, though, giving it a 37% “rotten” rating based on 117 reviews that stretch from current day to as far back as 1984 when the film debuted in theaters. More than 50,000 viewers have an opposite view of 1984’s Dune, though, awarding the movie with a 65% “fresh” Audience Score.
6. ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’ (2014)
Movie Westerns have become a hard sell to audiences and critics in recent years, and writer-director Seth MacFarlane’s attempt to add comedy to the mix didn’t work for critics of A Million Ways to Die in the West.
The Family Guy creator certainly enlisted the talent to get the job done with a stellar cast including Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried and Neil Patrick Harris.
MacFarlane plays a sheep farmer in the Old West in A Million Ways to Die in the West, but Rotten Tomatoes critics put the movie out to pasture with a 33% “rotten” rating based on 212 reviews. Viewers thought the movie was “rotten,” too, awarding it a 41% “rotten” score based on 50,000-plus reviews.
5. ‘The Divergent Series: Insurgent’ (2015)
Like The Hunger Games, The Divergent Series is based on a set of hit Y/A novels about a future dystopian society. Insurgent is the second movie of author Veronica Roth’s book-turned-film series, following Divergent.
Shailene Woodley’s Tris and Theo James’ Four are the protagonists in the series, but Rotten Tomatoes critics hardly found the events of Insurgent heroic, giving the film a “rotten” 28% rating based on 207 reviews.
The film’s Audience Score of 58%—based on more than 50,000 user ratings, was a bit more forgiving, but still deemed Insurgent “rotten.”
4. ‘Land of the Lost’ (2009)
Based on Sid and Marty Kroft’s classic Saturday morning TV series about a family who find themselves in prehistoric times after traveling through a time warp, Will Ferrell’s big-screen adaptation of The Land of the Lost was—for the lack of a better word—lost on critics.
Rotten Tomatoes reviewers gave Land of the Lost a combined 26% “rotten” rating based on 193 reviews, while audiences told the film to get lost, too, with a “rotten” 32% Audience Score based on more than 250,000 user ratings.
3. ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ (2015)
Simply put, E.L. James’ massive bestselling novel 50 Shades of Grey didn’t translate well as a film adaptation. As such, the lurid tale about 21-year-old college senior Anastasia Steele’s (Dakota Johnson) descent into a BDSM relationship with billionaire businessman Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) was met with a tough reception by critics.
Rotten Tomatoes reviewers gave Fifty Shades of Grey a 25% “rotten” rating based on 280 reviews, while viewers closed the book on the movie adaptation, too, with a 41% “rotten” Audience Score.
2. National Security (2003)
While Martin Lawrence excels on the buddy cop comedy beat with Will Smith in the Bad Boys movie series, his turn as a security guard along with Steve Zahn in National Security was not locked up but locked out by critics.
As such, National Security was riddled with bad reviews as Rotten Tomatoes critics gave it a lowly 11% “rotten” rating based on 90 reviews. While more than 50,000 viewers had a much more positive reception for National Security, the film still only managed a 45% “rotten” Audience Score.
1.‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’
While the Divergent Series didn’t exactly start with a bang with a 41% “rotten” rating for 2014’s Divergent from Rotten Tomatoes critics—its 69% “fresh” score kept it off this worst 10 list in favor of Kicking & Screaming—the dystopian tale certainly ended with a whimper.
Like National Security, Rotten Tomatoes critics gave Allegiant an 11% “rotten” rating (based on 199 reviews) but the film’s 41 percent “rotten” Audience Score (based on 25,000-plus ratings) pushed it to the top—or is it bottom—of the 10 worst-reviewed films new on Netflix in June.
ForbesJennifer Lopez's 'Atlas' Defies Bad Reviews To Debut Big On Netflix Movie ChartBy Tim Lammers
