Rim of the World: The very worst original Netflix movies
Although Netflix has released some bangers in its time climbing the rungs of the streaming empire, the company has certainly produced a few outright flops in the process.
Using Rotten Tomatoes scores, Film Daily has determined 10 of the most offensive Netflix Originals—more importantly, we’ve traversed through the dregs so you don’t have to!
The Last Laugh (2019)
From Netflix: After moving to a retirement home, restless talent manager Al (Chevy Chase) reconnects with long-ago client Buddy (Richard Dreyfuss) and coaxes him back out on the comedy circuit.
Critics score: 53%
Audience score: 39%
Consensus: “Chevy Chase and Richard Dreyfuss are a sight for sore eyes, but they, unfortunately, do not get ‘The Last Laugh’ in a generic buddy comedy that never musters any jokes worthy of their comedic chops.”
Extinction (2018)
From Netflix: Plagued by dreams of an alien invasion, a family man faces his worst nightmare when an extraterrestrial force begins exterminating Earth’s inhabitants.
Critics score: 39%
Audience score: 48%
Consensus: “‘Extinction’ has a few intriguing ideas, but they—and some game performances from its talented stars—are lost in the movie’s muddled plot and frustrating pacing.”
The Silence (2019)
From Netflix: With the world under attack by deadly creatures who hunt by sound, a teen and her family seek refuge outside the city and encounter a mysterious cult.
Critics score: 32%
Audience score: 20%
Consensus: “‘The Silence’ has nothing new to say with a derivative premise and placid pacing—even a wasted Stanley Tucci is unable to elevate the stodgy material a decibel above dreadful.”
Secret Obsession (2019)
From Netflix: When Jennifer wakes up with amnesia after a traumatic attack, her doting husband cares for her. But she soon realizes the danger is far from over.
Critics score: 27%
Audience score: 10%
“This is a pretty bad movie, but it seems to be bad in the way it’s meant to be bad. It’s cheerfully trashy, and if that’s up your alley, have at it.”
—Linda Holmes (NPR)
Tau (2018)
From Netflix: Kidnapped by an inventor who uses her as a test subject to perfect his robotic AI, a street-smart young woman tries to escape her high-tech prison.
Critics score: 25%
Audience score: 48%
“A wannabe-thriller about artificial intelligence with little wit of its own.”
—Nick Allen (RogerEbert.com)
Rim of the World (2019)
From Netflix: Stranded at a summer camp when aliens attack the planet, four teens with nothing in common embark on a perilous mission to save the world.
Critics score: 25%
Audience score: 26%
“Its greatest value is probably in how it could educate budding movie-lovers on cheesy and predictable storytelling, but even that seems like a lesson ‘Rim of the World’ cynically teaches us at an elementary level.”
—Nick Allen (RogerEbert.com)
Mute (2018)
From Netflix: When his girlfriend vanishes, a mute man ventures into a near-future Berlin’s seamy underworld, where his actions speak louder than words.
Critics score: 20%
Audience score: 47%
Consensus: “Visually polished but narratively derivative and overall muddled, ‘Mute’ is a would-be sci-fi epic whose title serves as an unfortunate guide to how it might be best enjoyed.”
The Last Summer (2019)
From Netflix: Teens from a Chicago high school grapple with their dreams, relationships and identities in a transformative summer before they leave for college.
Critics score: 17%
Audience score: 27%
Special Correspondents (2016)
From Netflix: When they lose their passports, a bickering radio team invents phony reports from a combat zone in a ruse that becomes increasingly complicated.
Critics score: 17%
Audience score: 28%
Consensus: “Feeble writing and two-dimensional characters make ‘Special Correspondents’ an unsuccessful, embarrassing endeavor for creator Ricky Gervais.”
The Do-Over (2016)
From Netflix: The life of a bank manager is turned upside down when a friend from his past manipulates him into faking his own death and taking off on an adventure.
Critics score: 10%
Audience score: 42%
Top critic: “Surely this movie must be almost over, you think, as you jab the pause button on your remote—only to find you are at the 50-minute mark with another 58 to go.”
—Jordan Hoffman (The Guardian)
