Top 20 Biggest Netflix FAILURES
Netflix is great. These TV shows and movies are not. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Netflix shows, specials, and movies that flopped critically and/or commercially.
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00:00 "I made one request.
00:01 It was not for oil, it was for praise.
00:04 With this, you failed."
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Netflix shows, specials,
00:10 and movies that flopped critically and/or commercially.
00:12 "Chelsea, I just want to say, you should be proud of what you did here."
00:17 20.
00:19 Disjointed
00:20 "Your kids, you love 'em, right?
00:22 But let's face it, they're bottomless pits of need."
00:25 "I'm right here, Mom."
00:29 Chuck Lorre is the master of the sitcom, but he couldn't make it work with Disjointed.
00:33 Released at a time when marijuana laws were relaxing, Disjointed is all about the substance.
00:38 Kathy Bates plays Ruth Feldman, the stoner owner of an L.A. dispensary.
00:42 Sometimes the show is a workplace comedy, other times it's a thinly-veiled pamphlet
00:45 on how awesome the plant is.
00:47 Between the bad jokes, the sitcom tackles misconceptions about the substance, relays
00:51 its long history, and touts its medical benefits.
00:54 Basically, Disjointed seems to have been made by committee to cash in on the growing weed
00:57 craze of the time.
00:58 It received terrible reviews and was canceled after one season.
01:01 "A pot that doesn't just make you high, but makes you whole."
01:05 "Sorry, I wasn't listening."
01:09 19.
01:10 Space Force
01:11 "There will be setbacks along the way.
01:15 There are risks to every great endeavor."
01:17 Now that we think about it, a lot of Netflix projects are probably made by committee to
01:21 cash in on crazes.
01:23 The actual United States Space Force was founded in December 2019, and the show was released
01:27 about five months later.
01:29 It really should have been a hit, with the topicality of the real Space Force and massive
01:32 names like Steve Carell, John Malkovich, and co-creator Greg Daniels.
01:36 Unfortunately, the show failed to launch.
01:38 Reception was quite poor, with critics singling out its lazy satire and messy tonal inconsistencies.
01:44 The involvement of Daniels also raised expectations way too high, considering he developed and
01:48 co-created The Office and Parks and Recreation, respectively.
01:51 Space Force ain't them, not by a long shot.
01:54 "Our job today is to decide whether Space Force should continue to exist and under whose
01:59 command."
02:00 18.
02:01 Naked
02:02 "Excuse me, sir, you're naked."
02:03 "Yeah, um, listen, I need a room key."
02:04 On July 21, 2017, a movie called Girl's Trip was released theatrically.
02:09 It starred Regina Hall, scored 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and grossed over $140 million.
02:15 Three weeks later, another Hall project, called Naked, which bombed and scored 0% on Rotten
02:19 Tomatoes, came out.
02:21 Oh, the fickle nature of Hollywood.
02:23 An American remake of a Swedish comedy, Naked stars Marlon Wayans as Rob Anderson, a nude
02:27 man stuck in a time loop on his wedding day.
02:30 The premise is certainly fun, but the movie lets it down in every conceivable way with
02:33 a weak script and lame attempts at comedy.
02:36 Let's just watch Groundhog Day again.
02:37 Or Girl's Trip.
02:38 Or the original Swedish film.
02:39 Anything, really.
02:40 "What's your pregame like, huh?
02:42 You stretch beforehand, or, you know, just straight up get wasted?"
02:46 "Sir, I am not a streaker, okay?
02:48 I was just trying to get to my wedding."
02:49 17.
02:50 Marvel's Iron Fist
02:52 "Leopard punch."
02:58 By the mid-2010s, it seemed like superhero fare could do no wrong, especially if it belonged
03:03 to the MCU.
03:04 Well, Iron Fist proved that theory wrong.
03:06 This was the fourth Marvel show released by Netflix, and it was undoubtedly the worst.
03:10 It was a disaster from the start, with white English actor Finn Jones being cast in the
03:14 lead role.
03:15 This led to accusations of whitewashing, which the character's co-creator publicly and controversially
03:20 rebuked.
03:21 The show itself was also a massive letdown, with bad pacing, bad writing, and bad fight
03:25 choreography.
03:26 A major no-no when it comes to a story centered around martial arts.
03:29 Iron Fist was trashed by critics and MCU fans alike, and was canceled after two seasons.
03:35 "Don't try that again."
03:38 16.
03:39 Friends from College
03:40 "John, your, uh, pant is all bloody."
03:42 "Oh, yeah, I'm training for a marathon.
03:45 I tripped over a boy on my run."
03:47 How many times are we going to do the "friends going about their lives in New York" thing?
03:50 That's the question many were surely asking when Friends from College was released.
03:54 This comedy follows a group of 40-something-year-old pals in New York who navigate life, jobs,
03:58 friendships, relationships, and, you know, yawn.
04:01 The series was widely criticized for its lack of originality, and while the characters were
04:05 played by talented actors, they were deeply, deeply unlikable, and not in a fun succession
04:09 sort of way.
04:10 The inferior quality made us want to watch other, and far greater, Friends living in
04:14 New York shows, and Netflix quietly let this one go after two seasons.
04:18 "You know I'm a bad dancer.
04:20 Why do we have to turn our wedding into a talent show?"
04:22 "You know what?
04:23 We'll forget it.
04:24 Just forget it."
04:25 15.
04:26 Red Notice
04:27 "I know you.
04:28 You're the slow-ball guy that's been chasing me."
04:29 Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot all in the same movie?
04:32 How could this go wrong?
04:33 We don't know, but it did.
04:35 Red Notice certainly wasn't a disaster, and did well enough to warrant two upcoming sequels.
04:39 That's the star power of the core trio at work, but the movie itself is a huge disappointment.
04:44 Among the incredible talents both behind and in front of the cameras, it received a surprisingly
04:48 lukewarm reception, with many people criticizing its trope-filled script, bad action scenes,
04:53 and thin character work.
04:54 It's fun enough for a lazy Sunday afternoon, and it was certainly successful enough, but
04:58 everyone was expecting more.
04:59 "You know what I think is funny, Booth?"
05:01 "Vin Diesel's audition tape for Cats?
05:03 It exists."
05:04 14.
05:05 Death Note
05:06 "Each death must be physically possible, so no shark attacks while someone's on the
05:09 toilet.
05:10 As much as I love that idea."
05:14 Many people will never forgive Netflix for what they did to Death Note.
05:17 The manga is enormously popular, and the anime has received universal praise, acting as a
05:21 shining example of short but sweet.
05:23 And then came the live-action Netflix adaptation.
05:26 To say that it was received poorly by fans of the manga would be a massive understatement.
05:30 Virtually everything about the film was compared negatively to its source, including the complexity
05:34 of the characters, the lack of moral ambiguity, the significant plot deviations, and the whitewashing
05:39 of the cast.
05:40 The backlash eventually got so bad and so heated that director Adam Wingard was forced
05:44 to delete his Twitter account.
05:46 "You're the one who flew into the sun.
05:48 I'm just here to make sure you actually burn."
05:50 13.
05:51 Arrested Development
05:52 "Neither had expected to see each other after some recent unpleasantness."
05:56 When it was announced that Netflix would be bringing back Arrested Development, the world
06:00 let out a collective cheer.
06:01 When we saw what they did with it, it was a collective groan.
06:04 The original three Fox seasons are undeniable classics of television comedy.
06:08 Season four, however, is a major swing and a miss.
06:11 Many criticized the bizarre narrative structure of the season, as it eliminated the ensemble
06:14 dynamic we'd come to love to focus on individual character stories.
06:18 It was a risk, and it didn't pay off.
06:20 The fifth season brought the gang back together, but like a high school reunion, the chemistry
06:23 wasn't the same.
06:24 The great Netflix revival was a disappointment overall, and Arrested Development ended again
06:28 after season five.
06:29 "Am I that much of a monster, Michael, even to you?"
06:33 12.
06:34 Resident Evil
06:35 "You mean anything to me?
06:36 Because hurting me hurts Umbrella, and let's face it, Umbrella is all you have."
06:44 Remember that Resident Evil show that Netflix did?
06:46 That's okay, few people do.
06:48 Released in July of 2022, this was the second franchise adaptation in just eight months,
06:52 following the movie Welcome to Raccoon City, released the previous November.
06:56 While the show received a mixed response from critics, it was viciously condemned by fans
07:00 of the Resident Evil franchise.
07:02 Critics' reactions ranged far and wide, and included general complaints centered around
07:05 the acting, writing, and directing.
07:07 There were also more specific ones taking aim at things like unlikable characters and
07:10 the way the fun zombie-killing story was turned into a teenage soap opera.
07:14 While the show debuted in the top ten in over 90 countries, it wasn't successful enough
07:17 to warrant a second season.
07:19 "Act 2426 still shows no sign of leadership structure or higher brain function."
07:25 11.
07:26 Bad Samaritans
07:27 "Happy fourth anniversary, babe!"
07:29 "Yeah, Jake, we need to take a break from each other."
07:31 "Maybe forever."
07:32 There's a delicate balancing act required when writing dark sitcoms.
07:37 Unfortunately, Bad Samaritans failed to toe that line.
07:39 It's about a group of people performing menial jobs for community service, but the result
07:43 is more sad than enjoyable.
07:45 Are heroes or people who start a forest fire?
07:48 How funny!
07:49 And they're required to perform tasks like euthanizing dogs.
07:51 Hilarious.
07:52 Not.
07:53 Put simply, it wasn't a very pleasant show, and it's no surprise that it came and went
07:56 without any significant attention.
07:58 Not only was it quietly axed after one season, but it's no longer available on Netflix,
08:03 having been pulled off the service some time ago.
08:05 "Helping people could be just as rewarding as robbing, stabbing, or bludgeoning someone
08:09 to death with a rusty tire iron."
08:10 10.
08:11 The Ranch
08:12 "Better put that on your tombstone.
08:14 Here lies Colt Bennett.
08:16 Next time it'll be different."
08:18 Capitalizing on the American cultural landscape, Netflix produced a country-themed original
08:22 with distinct characters.
08:23 The Ranch examines family dynamics, with Sam Elliott playing the grizzled patriarch and
08:27 Ashton Kutcher starring as the black sheep that strayed and returned home.
08:31 Despite such an accomplished cast, the show was plagued by polarizing reviews, with many
08:35 finding the characters, jokes, and narrative to be highly predictable.
08:39 It also tried to blend comedy with hard-hitting family drama, but none of it really worked
08:43 in the long run.
08:44 And finally, The Ranch and its reputation was also marked by real-world issues, as Danny
08:48 Masterson was accused of assault.
08:49 He was fired, not appearing in the final three parts.
08:52 "If you can't see the problem with that, I did an even worse job raising you two than
08:57 I did on."
08:58 #9.
08:59 Flaked
09:00 "Oh, I thought you said that it was free."
09:01 "That's the name, free coffee.
09:04 As in free of all, like, bad stuff."
09:06 On paper, this Netflix original seems like a winner.
09:08 Will Arnett, known for Arrested Development and BoJack Horseman, is the creator, executive
09:12 producer, and star.
09:13 He plays Chip, a Venice Beach native that's trying to overcome his personal demons.
09:17 Given the premise, many have noticed similarities to the popular Showtime series Californication,
09:22 which also features a conflicted man living in Venice.
09:25 As strong as the production values may be, including some direction from the Oscar-winning
09:28 Wally Pfister, Flaked failed to impress critics, considering its plot holes and tendency towards
09:33 the melodrama.
09:34 Plus, the average viewer could easily find weak spots in the storytelling and the lead
09:37 character's all-too-familiar traits.
09:39 "You want me to give you four million dollars?"
09:41 "Think of it more as a loan between friends."
09:44 "You're not that good of a friend."
09:46 "So you'll think about it."
09:48 #8.
09:49 The Get Down
09:50 "Um, this is the Fantastic Four, plus one.
09:51 Um, yeah, this is the crew."
09:53 In July 2016, Stranger Things immediately connected with viewers thanks to its charming
09:57 cast and nostalgic style.
09:59 One month later, Netflix dropped another youth-centric series, albeit with a much different budget
10:03 and setting.
10:04 Created by the iconic Baz Luhrmann, The Get Down examines the molding of culture and music
10:08 in 1970s South Bronx.
10:10 The series reportedly cost a whopping $120 million, making it one of the most expensive
10:15 Netflix originals of the time.
10:17 The initial six episodes were mostly well-received, but viewers, whose numbers were already lower
10:21 than expected, were kept waiting eight months for the second half, further hurting the numbers.
10:26 Given the disconnect, Netflix ultimately cut the cord.
10:28 "But for all of us, when we see our names on these trains, only even for a fleeting
10:33 moment, we can say, 'I was here.'"
10:36 #7.
10:37 Amy Schumer - The Leather Special
10:38 "I feel like every comedian needs a leather special."
10:44 Filmed at Denver's Belco Theater, this stand-up special didn't exactly break the bank in terms
10:48 of production costs or anything, but it was depicted as a train wreck by numerous media
10:52 outlets.
10:53 Amy Schumer's crude brand of humor seemingly didn't connect with many Netflix subscribers,
10:57 most notably the far right.
10:59 According to various reports, a coordinated effort was actually made to lower the Netflix
11:03 original's rating, resulting in a lengthy Instagram reaction from Schumer herself.
11:07 Whether you agree with the largely positive reviews from critics or the naysayers and
11:10 commenters online, the end result was the same for Netflix, a brutal rating and plenty
11:15 of bad press.
11:16 "Thank you so much!
11:17 I love you!"
11:18 #6.
11:19 Between
11:20 "You know who I am?
11:21 Mr. Locke.
11:22 So you know I own the dealership you just stole that truck from."
11:32 Produced in Canada, this Netflix original blends science fiction with teenage angst.
11:36 There's certainly a market for a series like Between, but the Netflix distribution deal
11:39 didn't prove to be a success with critics or subscribers.
11:43 Former Nickelodeon actress Jeanette McCurdy has a certain amount of star power, but the
11:46 story of Pretty Lake feels watered down and bland when compared to more popular Netflix
11:51 originals, resulting in a 22% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
11:54 After two seasons totaling 12 episodes, Between found itself relegated to a spot in television
11:59 production limbo, eventually being considered dead.
12:01 "Citizens of Pretty Lake, as you know, the situation is increasingly grave."
12:08 #5.
12:09 Chelsea
12:10 "It's my job to come out to applause.
12:11 I mean, it's the best!"
12:14 As the platform's first talk show, this Netflix original broke new ground.
12:18 Three episodes would air each week, featuring interviews between host Chelsea Handler and
12:22 various celebrities.
12:23 The star power is there, yet many fans and critics cite the bland conversation as a major
12:27 flaw.
12:28 In fact, the New York Post once established an article titled "Why is Chelsea Handler's
12:31 new show so awful?"
12:33 Some viewers may have enjoyed the mix of edgy conversations and lighthearted topics, but
12:37 the critics most definitely had issues with Chelsea.
12:39 A series that seemingly bored more than it excited prior to its cancellation.
12:43 "Ladies and gentlemen, for the last time, this is Chelsea Handler."
12:47 #4.
12:48 Marco Polo
12:49 "Marco.
12:51 She gave you a fine name."
12:52 To tell an epic story, studios need an epic budget, and Netflix was willing to oblige in
12:56 order to bring this historical drama to life.
12:59 They reportedly spent $90 million on the first ten episodes alone.
13:03 Despite the quality production design, season one of Marco Polo didn't impress critics.
13:07 Season two delivered a notable bump in quality, but this Netflix original inevitably flopped
13:11 because of dollars and cents.
13:13 All said and done, Netflix reportedly lost $200 million, a deficit from which the series
13:17 couldn't possibly bounce back.
13:19 As a result, Marco Polo became the first Netflix original series not to be renewed for a third
13:23 season.
13:24 "It is.
13:25 Because it should be."
13:27 #3.
13:28 True Memoirs of an International Assassin
13:30 "He published a book claiming to be, get this, an international assassin."
13:35 Unlike a TV series, films have no second season in which to mature and improve, meaning that
13:39 when they fail, they can do it in truly spectacular fashion.
13:42 True Memoirs of an International Assassin holds a 0% Rotten Tomatoes rating as of 2024,
13:47 which some would argue is the film's greatest feat.
13:50 The screenplay itself received plenty of hype in the years leading up to production, but
13:54 the filmmaking and acting failed to keep viewers engaged.
13:57 Critics were generally scathing in their reviews.
13:59 Furthermore, the film upset many Venezuelans for the negative depiction of their country,
14:03 making it a true international failure.
14:05 "General Ruiz, how did you get a meeting with him?"
14:08 "How I get most of my meetings here.
14:10 I was abducted."
14:11 #2.
14:12 Hemlock Grove
14:13 "You were going to ask me about an animal attack."
14:15 "Well, we don't know what it is."
14:19 During its initial run, this Netflix original earned two Emmy nominations.
14:22 The visual effects and Hemlock Grove theme music were praiseworthy, but critics otherwise
14:26 picked the show apart, particularly the storytelling, with many citing the lack of focus and slow
14:31 pace as the primary issues.
14:33 Viewers may find value in the horror experience as well as the gore and comedy that come with
14:37 it, but the series ultimately failed to reach its full potential, even with noted horror
14:41 director Eli Roth serving as co-executive producer.
14:44 Netflix put the final nail in the coffin after three seasons.
14:47 "He would have been a good father, a good husband.
14:51 I know it seems impossible now, but someone else will come along."
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15:10 Number 1.
15:11 The Ridiculous 6
15:12 "Good morning, boys!"
15:13 "Morning never wears brown."
15:16 Adam Sandler's brand of comedy has always been rather distinct, so when he signed a
15:19 four-movie deal with Netflix in 2014, many subscribers knew what to expect.
15:24 However, in addition to failing to deliver the laughs, The Ridiculous 6 managed to disappoint
15:28 in surprising ways with its lack of cultural sensitivity.
15:31 Numerous indigenous actors reportedly walked off set during the initial production.
15:35 Despite the backlash and subsequent flops like The Do-Over and Sandy Wexler, Netflix
15:39 extended Sandler's deal in 2017.
15:42 It would seem that Sandler's Netflix original films nonetheless deliver strong streaming
15:46 numbers.
15:47 Regardless, The Ridiculous 6 was widely considered a colossal flop, at least cinematically and
15:51 culturally speaking.
15:52 "I feel kind of guilty about this burrow."
15:54 Did you enjoy any of these offerings, despite them flopping?
15:57 Let us know in the comments below!
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