After the release of Dakota Johnson’s Madame Web, it was vehemently cleared that Sony Pictures Releasing had gambled with the money expecting a huge return from the Spider-Man spin-off. The movie met with severe criticism and was able to claim only an 11% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 256 reviews from critics. But the devastating fate of the movie was altered overnight, thanks to Netflix, the Madame Web claimed the number 1 spot in the United States chart after landing on the streamer. Quite a breather for the movie that has received constant bashing since its release.
Madame Web Claimed The Number 1 Spot On Netflix In The US Chart
Dakota Johnson in and as Madame Web. Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
Forget the reviews for a second and think why and how Dakota Johnson’s Madame Web climbed up to the number 1 spot on Netflix right after the release of the 2024 movies. Although the movie has only an 11% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, the audiences on the review platform were not entirely cruel to the movie that also stars Sydney Sweeney who recently gave the romantic treat for fans with Anyone but You starring alongside Glen Powell. With Sweeney, the trio that followed Madame Web includes Dora and the Lost City of Gold star Isabela Merced who is all set to appear in Alien: Romulus and Celeste O’Connor.
Madame Web has got a decent score from the audience standing at 57% score on Rotten Tomatoes from over 1000+ reviews— that’s something for a movie that saw the worst backlashes from every side. The marketing for the film by Netflix has been quite good, or at least hit the exact point to propel fans to stream the superhero flick.
Netflix has strategically changed the loglines of the movie, one of the loglines reads, “A psychic paramedic battles a supervillain connected to her late mom, who was in the Amazon researching spiders right before she died.” Subtle right?
Netflix knew that the movie had a bad impression but the buzz surrounding it can not be denied and that was perhaps the queue for the streaming giant to invest in the movie to buy the streaming rights.
Madame Web Should Have Never Been Made For Theater
Madame Web. Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
It would take a lot to be a hit for a movie but with the splash Madame Web has made, primarily due to the exploration of the origin story and the cast, especially two big names attached to the projects including Johnson and Sweeney.
It is fair to say that the movie should have been made exclusively for streaming and partnering with streaming giants like Netflix would be a great deal for the movie to be extended into a potential franchise. Of course, Madame Web is mediocre at best but it is not completely unwatchable, rather it is fairly enjoyable for the small screen devices at your home. But Sony had ruined the experience by bringing it into the theaters.
Undoubtedly, a movie requires a lot to stand among fans, especially when producers urge fans to buy tickets to have an immaculate experience and amid the superhero fatigue, such theatrical releases always carry a question mark. Of course, Sony has found success with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man franchise but after the character’s MCU debut. Also, the movie would make a good series exploring the depth of characters with more elegance poured into it.
Madame Web Reception Freaked Out Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson in Madame Web. Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
Dakota Johnson led the movie and it was definitely a huge gig for the actor who has immense popularity to her credit for the Fifty Shades trilogy, was unhappy with the negative reception of the movie. “It’s so hard to get movies made, and in these big movies that get made — and it’s even starting to happen with the little ones, which is what’s really freaking me out — decisions are being made by committees, and art does not do well when it’s made by committee,” Johnson told Bustle.
Films are made “by a filmmaker and a team of artists around them. You cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms. My feeling has been for a long time that audiences are extremely smart, and executives have started to believe that they’re not,” she continued.
Audiences will always “be able to sniff out bullsh*t. Even if films start to be made with AI, humans aren’t going to f*cking want to see those. But it was definitely an experience for me to make that movie. I had never done anything like it before. I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world.”
The actor went on to add, “and I know that now. But sometimes in this industry, you sign on to something, and it’s one thing and then as you’re making it, it becomes a completely different thing, and you’re like, Wait, what?”
Fair enough, but again, the problem with the movie was primarily the theatrical factor and we are pretty adamant on believing that. Regardless, the movie got a second chance and shined above all odds.
Madame Web Failure Was Not Daunting For Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney in Madame Web. Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
Sydney Sweeney has a completely different perspective than her co-star. Madame Web was her first studio movie that flopped after finding success with Anyone But You which grossed over $200 million against the production budget of $25 million. Still, the failure of the superhero movie was never daunting for the 26-year-old.
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“I was just hired as an actress in it, so I was just along for the ride for whatever was going to happen,” Sweeney told the Los Angeles Times in response to the wild mocking the movie has received.
Regardless, the movie is now streaming on Netflix, if you have not watched it in theaters, it would be a nice weekend watch with light action. And yes, you can watch it with your family.
