New big-budget Netflix adaptation has shockingly low Rotten Tomatoes score
NetflixDespite a starry cast, big budget, and an established fanbase from the book on which it’s based, Netflix’s latest major TV series has received a shockingly low Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics.
Netflix has enjoyed major success with a number of original shows and movies hitting its library in 2023. Film lovers have been treated to a wide array of new stories, from Forgotten Love and Nowhere to Can You See Us? and The Strays.
In the TV world, there have been countless examples of smash hits, a couple of particular highlights of this year being the twisty political thriller The Night Agent – which quickly became one of Netflix’s most watched shows – and the mind-bending mystery of the recent Bodies starring Stephen Graham.
So, it’s no surprise that one particular series, based on a popular novel and featuring a star-studded cast, had subscribers hyped. However, following its release, the show has received a very disappointing Tomatometer rating.
Netflix’s All the Light We Cannot See has poor Rotten Tomatoes score
New four-part Netflix series All the Light We Cannot See, based on the Pulitzer-prize-winning book of the same name by Anthony Doerr, has received just 22% from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
This is a disappointing outcome, considering how beloved Doerr’s WWII novel is. What’s more, the show is widely reported to have been backed by a “whopping budget,” it had Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy at the helm, and the cast features the likes of Hugh Laurie and Mark Ruffalo.
As for why it’s gone down so badly in the reviews, Variety wrote: “Knight and Levy aim for an uplifting, inspirational tale of connection that transcends division, distance and prejudice, but instead deliver a flat, jumbled story that lacks the desired effect.”
Elsewhere, CNN Entertainment said: “Everything about All the Light We Cannot See screams prestige, which makes the lifelessness of this four-part Netflix limited series more pronounced.”
TV Insider added: “This isn’t terrible filmmaking, just negligible, thuddingly obvious and (unlike the book) forgettable. Less bombast might have made this a more illuminating event.” And Decider pointed out: “All The Light We Cannot See is both boring and inauthentic, two things that are deadly in an entertainment environment where there are literally thousands of other shows to watch.”
Interestingly, audiences aren’t quite of the same view. Although the show is far from receiving a perfect score, viewers at home gave it 63%, once again highlighting a divide between the opinions of audiences and critics.
If you want to decide for yourself, All the Light We Cannot See is on Netflix now, and you can read more about the series below:
