Summary
Some of the biggest responses toNetflix’s original contentare given to TV series and movies that missed the mark, according to critics.Due to the accessibility and ease of watching new releases on streaming services, there’s less of a risk in tuning into a poorly-reviewed show or movie, as opposed to going to the theaters for the latter or investing time in TV episodes released weekly. As a result, a few critically dismissed originals on Netflix have gone on to grow a considerable following.
TV series like13 Reasons Whygarnered high viewership numbers and became prominent in pop culture conversations. Similarly, poorly-reviewed films like365 DaysandBrightearned an impressive number of views despite their technical and narrative flaws. Whether it allows TV series to be renewed by Netflix or propels a film to the top of the site’s 10 most-watched films,the response from viewers at home helped bring attention to these Netflix originals that were otherwise reviewed poorly by critics.
10 Underrated Netflix Original Shows Everyone Should Watch
From Henry V’s life reimagined to eight strangers linked worldwide, some Netflix Originals truly stand out but deserve more recognition.
You People
Cast
You People is a romantic comedy film that stars Jonah Hill and Lauren London as an interracial/interreligious couple preparing to marry - but first, the two will have to break the news to their families. With major culture clashes, the two will attempt to bridge their families together and find common ground in love and family.
Netflix’sYou Peopleis a star-studded romantic comedy that didn’t sit well with critics. Starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, and more,You Peopletells a story about a couple from two different cultural backgrounds and the ways their families process their relationship. Critics gave the film a 40% score and negative reviews, stating various reasons from the film’s failure to establish a distinct tone to its use of antisemitic tropes.
Bright
In an alternate Los Angeles, mystical creatures live side by side with humans. When police officer Daryl Ward is partnered with the division’s first Orc officer, the two must overcome the racism and police corruption in their way, in order to stop a magical artifact and mythical figure from wreaking havoc in the city.
Starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton,Brightis a fantasy action film that sees humans and mythical creatures living among one another. Despite sounding like any other large action film made for a streaming service,Brightalso includes a great amount of social commentary involving racism and corrupt police officers. However,Bright’s efforts to differentiate itself from other action films didn’t yield positive results.
Brightearned a 26% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes as many critics felt the film tried too hard to tie in such commentary within a fantastical setting, which critics also argued wasn’t well-executed. Still,Brighthas an 83% audience score and Netflix revealed the film was viewed more within its first week than other original releases on the site. Additionally,Brightincreased the streaming service’s revenue thanks to its popularity with audiences at home (viaDeadline).
The Punisher
The Punisher stars Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, who first appeared on Netflix’sDaredevil. Frank is a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper veteran who is highly skilled in martial arts, stealth tactics, guerrilla warfare, and knows how to use a variety of weapons. The death of his wife and two children led him to take matters into his own hands, and he has been killing criminals indiscriminately ever since. Despite being beloved by fans,The Punisherwas canceled in early 2019. Thankfully for fans of Bernthal’s character, it was announced in 2023 that he would be joining the MCU by appearing inDaredevil: Born Again, starring Charlie Cox.
WhileThe Punisherdoesn’t have nearly as low of a score as other Netflix originals, the reviews from critics weren’t overly positive either. As the title suggests, Netflix’s Marvel series follows the titular antihero as he works to uncover the truth about his family members' deaths.Jon Bernthal’s portrayal of Frank Castleis beloved by fans and is considered to be one of the best.
Many of theMarvel shows on Netflixare enjoyed by fans for their fight sequences and this includesThe Punisher, which has a heightened amount of brutality fit for the character. However,critics felt this violence was never justified in either of its two seasons.The Punisher’s pacing and misguided focus on villains have also been pointed out as flaws by critics.
Hillbilly Elegy
Directed by Ron Howard for release on Netflix, Hillbilly Elegy is a Drama film released in 2020 and stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close. The plot is based on author J.D. Vance’s memoir of the same name and follows a family as they attempt to deal with their mother’s unstable lifestyle.
Opening to widespread negative reviews from critics,Hillbilly Elegyhas a 24% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.Hillbilly Elegyis based onJD Vance’s memoirreleased a few years before the film and stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close as Vance’s mother and grandmother, respectively. A few reviews sharea dislike ofHillbilly Elegy’s portrayal of the low-income community and claimed the film, as dramatic as its story is, fell flat.
Still, audiences have enjoyed the film andHillbilly Elegyhas had a recent resurgence following the author’s increased presence in the media. As the current nominee for vice president of the Republican Party, the public has become interested in Vance’s story. During the week of July 16th,Hillbilly Elegy’s viewership increased and the critically picked-apart film earned the sixth spot on Netflix’s most-watched films (viaIndieWire).
Fuller House
Set years after the events of the original television series, Fuller House returns to the Tanner home where it all started, now following a grown-up D.J. Tanner-Fuller. Along with her three daughters, sister, and best friend, the group lives together in their childhood home in San Francisco, California with D.J. and Stephanie’s father, Danny. The makeshift family works together to raise their family members and explores similar themes present in the first series.
There’s a balance needed between references to the original content and bringing something new to audiences
Having starred in the original series,Full House, as Uncle Jesse, John Stamos worked as the producer for the sequel seriesFuller House. Most of the original cast appear inFuller Houseas their beloved characters from the ’90s. Like the original series,Fuller Houseis heartfeltand comedic. However, as is the casewith most reboots and sequels of popular series,there’s a balance needed between references to the original content and bringing something new to audiences.
As a disappointment to critics,Fuller Houseleaned too heavily into the former. Many of the series' storylines are reminiscent ofFull House, leaving a small amount of change for audiences. Though critics gave harsh reviews ofFuller Housebecause of its over-reliance on nostalgia, die-hard fans ofFull Housewere pleased. The series continued to keep the audience’s attention and ran for five seasons.
365 Days
365 Days is a romantic drama directed by Barbara Białowąs and Tomasz Mandes. The story follows Laura Biel, a successful executive who becomes entangled with a dominant Sicilian gangster, Massimo Torricelli, who gives her 365 days to fall in love with him after kidnapping her. Micheline Morrone and Anna-Maria Sieklucka star in this adaptation of the first novel in a trilogy by Blanka Lipińska.
An erotic thriller coming from Poland, Netflix’s365 Dayscurrently sits with a 0% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The panned film follows a man who imprisons a woman and attempts to get her to fall in love with him. Considering its premise, it’s no wonder critics found fault in365 Days' plot. Many reviews of365 Dayscall out the film’s romanticizing of harmful sexual acts and captivity.
On a lighthearted note, the performances of365 Days' cast were described as laughably bad. However,the performances are part of the reason why audiences were quick to make365 DaysNetflix’s #1 filmat the time of its release, landing among the most viewed content on the streaming service in multiple countries. Although, as the 31% audience score suggests, it’s not because viewers disagreed with critics. Conversations online sparked interest in the film and had people hurrying to see just how bad365 Dayswas.
Emily in Paris
Netflix’s Emily In Paris is a comedy series starring Lily Collins as Emily Cooper, a college graduate who travels from Chicago to Paris when she lands a one-in-a-lifetime job opportunity that allows her to enjoy French culture and glamour while she overhauls a local marketing firm. From the mind of Beverly Hills 90210 and Sex and the City creator Darren Star, Emily In Paris takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the cultural differences between the United States and France.
LikeThe Punisher,Emily in Paris' overall critical score on sites like Rotten Tomatoes isn’t as low as other Netflix originals, but a further look at written reviews of the series shows its poor reception by critics.Emily in Paris, which has an average critical score of 60%, premiered in 2020 and stars Lily Collins as the titular character who makes the transition to life in Paris. Some critics were frustrated withEmily in Paris' stereotypical depiction of France, but even more so, critics felt Emily wasn’t a compelling character and had little growth.
Scores from audiences are lower than critics, but in line with more positive reviews of the show,audiences seeEmily in Parisas a standard romantic comedy series that does an alright job. During the first month ofEmily in Paris' premiere, Netflix shared that it had been viewed in nearly 60 million households and audiences have kept coming back with every new season.
Emily In Paris Needs To End With Season 4 (& Netflix Just Proved It)
Emily Cooper has been glamorous in Paris for three seasons, but the upcoming season should also wrap up the story, and Netflix just proved why.
The Politician
The Politician is a Netflix original series starring Ben Platt, Zoey Deutch, Laura Dreyfuss, David Corenswet, Bette Midler, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk created the series, which focuses on Payton Hobart (Platt), a high-schooler at Saint Sebastian with aspirations to become President of the United States.
Centered around Ben Platt’s Payton Hobart,The Politicianis a satiricalseries by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan.The Politician’s two seasons, which have both received rotten scores from critics, follow Payton in various political races. Many critics have saidThe Politiciandoesn’t bring anything new to the political satire genreand its cast of talented actors aren’t enough to save the show.
Trying to find a positive takeaway fromThe Politician, a few critics have pointed to the writing and stylization of a Murphy show being present enough to keep fans of his work interested. Luckily, it is. Each season ofThe Politicianhas higher audience scores. Praise from audiences stems fromThe Politicianfeeling familiar with other works of Murphy, Brennan, and Falchuk. Additionally, the comedic performances by Platt, Bette Midler, Zoey Deutch, and more are enjoyed by fans.
The Kissing Booth
Beth Reekles' romantic teen comedy novel arrives in movie form as The Kissing Booth, starring Joey King as Elle, a teen with a significant crush on high school senior Noah, her best friend’s brother. When Elle participates in a Kissing Booth and the two share one themselves, jeopardizing her friendship and complicating things greatly.
Having spawned two sequel films due to its popularity with audiences,The Kissing Boothhas a 15% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. The first installment in the series of films follows the complicated relationship between Elle (Joey King) and Noah (Jacob Elordi), the brother of her best friend, Lee (Joel Courtney). Criticisms ofThe Kissing Boothdeal with the film’s reliance on romantic clichés and its immature depiction of romance.
13 Reasons Why
After Hannah Baker takes her own life, her classmate Clay Jensen, who had a crush on her, receives a set of tapes narrated by Hannah, stating that they were sent to each person behind the 13 reasons that she committed suicide.
Despite poor critical reception,13 Reasons Whywas one of Netflix’s highest-viewed shows for half of its run.13 Reasons Whyis based on Jay Asher’s 2007 book under the same name and depicts the events that occur at a high school following the suicide of a classmate, Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford).13 Reasons Whyis controversialfor its depiction of sensitive topics, which is an issue brought up by many critics early on and especially in the series' later seasons.
The last two seasons have low scores from both critics and audiences, signaling13 Reasons Why’s potentialhad been axed beyond repair
However,the ability to bring such heavy topics to a teen drama is what drew audiences inand why13 Reasons Whyseason 1 is the highest-rated by critics with 77%. Data shows the premiere of season 2 had an average of 6 million viewers within the first three days of its premiere (viaVariety). Yet, the last two seasons have low scores from both critics and audiences, signaling13 Reasons Why’s potentialhad been axed beyond repair.
