Believe it or not, Netflix -- a DVD rental company went from streaming films and shows to now creating original content -- has become the number one streaming service out there. Netflix has all but taken over entertainment, creating shows like Stranger Things, reviving The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina for the modern age, and even hosting international shows like hit K-Dramas.
The streaming platform has even created hit original films like The Old Guard, The Irishman and Extraction. Netflix is the new movie studio in town, with A-list actors and filmmakers clamoring to create content with the platform. However, not all original films get high rankings. While some have won over audiences, others bombed tremendously. Let's take a look at which original films just didn't make the cut!
Reality High (2017) - 5.2
To put it nicely, Reality High is a teen drama-comedy that didn't do well. The film revolved around a typical academic high schooler who decided to change her life. To do that, she becomes frenemies with the school's popular influencer. Along the way, she starts to lose who she really is.
Some audiences enjoyed the film for its take on a teen drama, but others felt it was a big cliché they've seen before in various other better films. Even worse, Reality High just felt highly predictable for most viewers.
Tall Girl (2019) - 5.2
Netflix has become well-known for creating original content about teen drama and angst that's equal parts nostalgic and relatable in the most bittersweet sense of the word. One teen flick that didn't sway with audiences, though, was Tall Girl. Many didn't understand the main character's angst, which is that she's got an above average height and she has struggle to fit in. Then she develops a crush on a new student and becomes entangled in a love triangle.
Some audiences felt that the "tall" storyline was over-exaggerated and the message (whatever it was) wasn't clear, while others just felt that Tall Girl was lackluster and derivative, despite its notably weird premise.
The Week Of (2018) - 5.1
Adam Sandler is back and has created a handful of original films with Netflix. Not all of his films got praise, though. Hey, not everything can be Uncut Gems! In The Week Of, Sandler co-stars with long-time friend Chris Rock. This is the crux of the film: Two fathers have to put up with each other for a week due to their children getting married. It's a long and bumpy road until the wedding day.
Many praised The Week Of for its comedy and Sandler's acting, but a few had some harsh words to say. Some felt the film was poorly edited and lacked storyline structure, making it "Just Another Adam Sandler Film."
How It Ends (2018) - 5.0
How It Ends is all about a dramatic apocalyptic survival. Some might say that audiences saw this one simply because it starred Theo James. Others felt the film had the making for a great sci-fi apocalypse film that was undermined by critics.
James plays Will, a retired marine expecting his first child. A natural disaster wreaks havoc and the world goes awry. Will must make a dangerous journey to find his fiancé in the chaos. Overall, critics felt that How It Ends' storyline lacked cohesion and had too many loose ends that couldn't be looked past.
Earth & Blood (2020) - 4.9
If you're looking for a good drug cartel-themed thriller, Netflix's Earth and Blood might not be it. For anyone who has seen Rambo: Last Blood, Earth & Blood's ending battle on the farm would look too similar to be coincidental. In fact, many referred to this film as a mediocre thriller that tried and failed to emulate Rambo.
Here, a sawmill owner finds himself in a pickle when his young employee decides to stash away kilos of cocaine at the mill. The cartel doesn't take lightly to thieves and goes after the boy putting the owner's daughter at risk.
You Get Me (2017) - 4.6
You Get Me is yet another teen drama thriller film with low rankings for the books. Audiences praised the cast's acting skills, especially Bella Throne, but the acting didn't make up for the film's predictability and a plot that has been seen many times before. Viewers did like the film's appropriate portrayal of mental illness in the main character, though.
Here, a teenage girl becomes dangerously obsessed with a boy after a one night stand. She even transfers to his school to keep their budding relationship going but discovers he went back to his ex. She will do anything to keep him to herself.
Death Note (2017) - 4.5
Death Note has long been a highly popular Japanese anime and manga that has a big cult following. Sadly, Netflix's live-action adaptation left many fans confused or upset. Netflix's Death Note follows Light, a teenager who discovers a supernatural book tied to a death god. By simply writing someone's name and how they die in the notebook, Light can kill just about anyone with ease.
To put it kindly, Death Note's reception was 50/50 at best. Die-hard fans disliked how much the American version diverged from the original story. They also felt the characters were highly unlikeable, especially the new Light. Some viewers also felt the film had spotty logic that went against what the premise and themes of the manga. For most, though, Death Note has become a punchline more than anything else.
Fatal Affair (2020) - 4.4
There have been successful thriller revolving around a psychotic ex, but Netflix's Fatal Affair is not one of those. Critics felt the film was lackluster, with barely any moments of real thrill in what should've been a sexually-charged thriller. Reviews said the film passed the "ironing test," meaning it lacked so much storyline that they actually got housework done while watching it!
After an encounter with her ex, a woman tries to save what's left of her failing marriage. She's unaware of how much that encounter with her ex meant to him. He soon starts to turn unstable and wants her all to himself.
Secret Obsession (2019) - 4.3
Who remembers Brenda Song from the Disney Channel days? Well in case you were curious, Song took on the main role of Jennifer in a Netflix psychological thriller call Secret Obsession. The film opens with a woman fleeing down a road before getting into an accident. She later wakes up with amnesia and is taken home by her husband. She soon starts to realize who her supposed husband really is, and things go downhill from there.
Critics and audiences felt that Secret Obsession's acting only made the story elements even worse. There were too many plot holes and the acting didn't create many thrills for a thriller film. The narrative's overall structure was weak and needed serious reworking.
The Last Day Of American Crime (2020) - 3.6
Taking the number one spot as the lowest-ranked Netflix film is the action thriller, The Last Day of American Crime. The film is set in 2024, and centers around three conmen. They plan the ultimate heist that they need to pull off before the government's "system blocker" activates, which is a broadcast signal that stops all crime in America.
Critics and audiences felt the script was bad, the characters were one-dimensional and prone to illogical decisions, the dystopian elements seemed pointless, and many spent most of the runtime trying to figure out the confusing plot. Even worse, The Last Days of American Crime came out in one of the most heated political climates in history, with many saying the film's depictions of a burgeoning police state were insensitive and out of touch. The only things about this film that are worth noting is that it's based on a graphic novel of the same name and it was dubbed by critics as one of the worst films ever made. Not good.