New Netflix Film Breaks Viewing Records, Despite Critics Slamming It
Professional critics write scathing reviews of this film and give it minimal scores, and viewers are equally disgusted. But everyone still watches as sharks hunt people in a flooded city.
Still from the trailer for the film 'Fatal Flood' (Thrash)
Today, a strange situation has developed in the world of cinema: to become popular, a film doesn't necessarily have to be a masterpiece. As Onet.pl writes, a striking example of this is the new Netflix film titled 'Fatal Flood' (Thrash). In just one day after its release, this disaster thriller soared to the top spot in viewership in 91 countries worldwide, including the USA, Great Britain, and Poland.
But the most interesting part began afterwards, when viewers and critics watched the film and started rating it. It turned out that the film's rating hovers around 30-38% out of a hundred, which is considered a real failure in the world of cinema.
The film's plot is quite simple and resembles classic survival stories. The action takes place in a small town in South Carolina, which is hit by a powerful hurricane. The town becomes flooded. In these waters appear bull sharks — dangerous predators that can even live in fresh water. Residents who tried to hide from the bad weather are now forced to fight predators in their own homes and yards.
Such a plot is clearly inspired by the classic Hollywood film 'Jaws', which in the 1970s made shark stories one of the most popular genres. Netflix is not the first to turn to similar themes: for example, the French thriller 'Under Paris' became one of the platform's most successful projects. 'Fatal Flood' continues this line.
Viewers criticize the film for poor special effects, illogical character behavior, and the predictability of every subsequent scene.
Critics were even harsher in their conclusions. The Guardian gave the film only one star, noting that the picture looked artificial and cheap from the very beginning.
Some experts even called the film 'aggressively stupid', emphasizing that it tries to be both a serious drama and an entertaining action movie, but ultimately fails at both.
However, among the wave of negativity, there were also those who liked the film. Some viewers note that 'Fatal Flood' is an excellent 'one-night movie' that doesn't require deep thought and simply allows one to watch the adventures on screen.
One of the main factors that made millions of people hit the play button is the star-studded cast and well-known names of the creators. The main role was played by Phoebe Dynevor, whom many know from the popular series 'Bridgerton'. The film also starred Djimon Hounsou, an 'Oscar' nominee and star of 'Gladiator'.
Additionally, the film was produced by Adam McKay — the man behind such well-known films as 'Don't Look Up' and 'The Big Short'.
Ultimately, the case of 'Fatal Flood' shows that in modern cinema, popularity is often determined not by quality, but by public attention. Even if a film receives low scores, it still remains a project that is discussed, which plays into the hands of the streaming platform.