“Terrible” movie with 5% Rotten Tomatoes score climbs Netflix chart

It’s “one of the worst films” Netflix viewers have ever seen – and yet, a movie with a 5% Rotten Tomatoes score has managed to climb the top 10 chart.

Movies are critic-proof when they come to Netflix. Whether it’s the algorithm pushing licensed titles (this is most likely) or some cosmic, unifying desire to watch crap stuff, films, and TV shows that have been otherwise dismissed upon their original release find new leases of life on streaming.

Just look at the past month’s most-watched movies: American Assassin, Dylan O’Brien’s “traumatizing” flop, stayed at number one for a whole week; a ‘rotten’ Liam Neeson drama raced up the rankings, despite its reviews; and one of Jennifer Aniston’s lesser-appreciated sequels appeared on the chart.

However, this one is a bit of an extreme example: a movie that barely anyone seems to have enjoyed has managed to become one of the most-watched films in the US right now.

The Legend of Hercules climbs Netflix chart

The Legend of Hercules is currently ranked at number five on Netflix’s top 10 movies. Check out the full chart below:

1. Code 8 Part II
2. Spaceman
3. Mea Culpa
4. Code 8
5. The Legend of Hercules
6. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
7. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
8. A Madea Family Funeral
9. Godzilla
10. Minions

The movie’s official synopsis reads: “From the illustrious narratives of ancient Greek mythology where mortals and gods collide, comes the story of THE LEGEND OF HERCULES. A reimagining of the hero’s epic origins, the film approaches Hercules’ otherworldly and legendary history from the perspective of a young man struggling with his destiny.”

It stars action dynamo Scott Adkins, a stuntman-turned-actor who appeared in John Wick 4 last year (in a huge, hilarious fat suit). He plays King Amphitryon, while Kellan Lutz (Twilight, The Expendables 3) portrays the titular hero.

Notably, it grossed $61.3 million against a $70 million budget and currently has a 5% Rotten Tomatoes score. When this sort of thing happens on Netflix, viewers normally take to social media to say the critics were wrong – not this time.

“The Legend of Hercules is easily one of the worst films I’ve ever seen,” one user tweeted. “I’m watching a terrible Legend of Hercules film. Mind you, I haven’t read an ancient text in eons, and bearing in mind that this is a fictional story… but a few minutes in I immediately notice the battle formations for the Greeks are completely historically inaccurate. Well done,” another wrote.

In the meantime, you can find out the new movies coming to streaming in March you should be excited about watching.