National Post (National Edition)
‘The worst movie of 2017’ is getting great ratings
Bright is highest viewed film ever on Netflix
Here are just some of the things critics have called Bright, the latest Netflix original movie, in the weeks since it was released late December: “the worst movie of 2017,” “tired,” “bizarre,” “an absolute mess,” “ugly, dumb,” “preposterously silly,” “lazy nonsense.”
The plot and setup are preposterous. The film follows two LAPD police officers, one human and the other, an orc.
Theirs is a world populated by fantasy creatures, offering questionable social commentary on race.
Written by Max Landis (Victor Frankenstein) and directed by David Ayers (Suicide Squad), two figures in the film industry who have more than their fair share of detractors, Bright is a recipe for disaster. Its only saving grace is its stars, Will Smith and Joel Edgerton.
Or maybe we’re all wrong. Maybe Bright does have something to offer and something substantial to say — at least if you ask the millions of viewers who have already checked it out on Netflix.
The streaming network never releases ratings, but in the midst of disastrous review after disastrous review, it announced last week that Bright was the highest viewed film ever on the service in its first week of release, with 11 million people viewing it over the first three days in the U.S. alone. In fact, it’s the No. 1 movie on Netflix in every country.
By the way, Bright reportedly cost the network a whopping US$90 million to produce, but it looks like their risk paid off.
As you digest that morsel, here’s more to chew on: the network has already confirmed a sequel, with both Edgerton and Smith set to return. And Ayers will not only take up directing duties again, but will write. Bad reviews and self-respect be damned!
Fortunately for Edgerton, he has the disguise of an orc cop, but for Smith, who is the poster boy of the movie, standards have never been lower.
A Fresh Prince revival would seem like a highminded proposal by comparison.