This month, Netflix had the opportunity to mingle with Hollywood royalty when their film The Power of the Dog competed at the Oscars. It’s safe to assume that the studio’s newest blockbuster won’t be up for an Oscar next year, thanks to the critical slam it’s received.
Despite its intriguing idea, Judd Apatow’s new picture The Bubble turns out to be a lot more fun to write about than it really is on screen. According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has received a dismal 24% rating. It drops even further to a dismal 20% if you filter by the most respected critics.
Even though moviegoers tend to be significantly more forgiving than film reviewers, The Bubble’s audience score is a dismal 43%. I think it’s safe to assume that those few Netflix users who have seen the newly released film weren’t very pleased either.
The Bubble’s lack of critical acclaim is due to the fact that its concept seemed like a perfect farcical comedy. The ensemble of a blockbuster action series is trapped in quarantine in a beautiful English hotel while filming the sixth instalment. Leslie Mann, Fred Armisen, Kate McKinnon and Keegan-Michael Key are just a few of the well-known comedians that appear in the film, along with superb actresses Karen Gillan and Pedro Pascal.
There’s a lot of promise here, but The Bubble looks to fall short of expectations. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “slapdash humour with an embarrassment of wasted ability” is what critics had to say about the film’s two-hour running duration.
Gal Gadot’s controversial “Imagine” video was more enjoyable, according to Robbie Collins of the Daily Telegraph. “In the pantheon of celebrities’ pandemic ventures, The Bubble is an awful new low.” Ouch.
Though views are subjective, if The Bubble seems like something you’d like, it may still be worth your time. Most people won’t be recommending this one for top Netflix picks anytime soon, so we suggest viewing one of the episodes or movies that will be leaving the site in April instead.