New John Cena movie hits Rotten Tomatoes’ worst-ever film list

❘ Published: 2023-11-06T11:29:50

Relativity Media

According to Rotten Tomatoes, John Cena’s 2023 might have peaked as Mermaid Ken, as his latest movie has taken a battering from critics.

Never one to shy away from the limelight, Cena has moved from the blockbuster hype of Barbie to Freelance, which isn’t having the same dazzling effect.

The movie’s synopsis reads: “Stuck in a dead-end desk job, former special forces operative Mason Pettis reluctantly takes on a freelance gig to provide private security for a washed-up journalist as she interviews a ruthless dictator. When a military coup breaks out just as she’s about to get the scoop of a lifetime, the unlikely trio must figure out how to survive the jungle and one another to make it out alive.”

Co-starring Alison Brie and Alice Eve, the John Cena comedy has failed to make an impression on Rotten Tomatoes, resulting in it ending up on the platform’s worst film list.

New John Cena movie scores 0% on Rotten Tomatoes

New John Cena film Freelance has scored a dreadful 0% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, with its audience score coming in at 74%.

In a rare occurrence, the new film starring John Cena and Alison Brie, ‘Freelance’ revived a zero percent on Rotten Tomatoes. #JohnCena #AlisonBrie pic.twitter.com/ZbAUAGrgrS
— No Context Culture (@NoConCulture) October 31, 2023

Its lack of score on the tomatometer means that Freelance immediately joins the list of the worst films ever ranked on the platform.

Angie Han from The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “Even the most cherished daydream needs a bit of skill and finessing if it’s to translate to the big screen, and that’s where Freelance falls fatally short — yielding not an uplifting escape, but an enervating bore.”

Derek Smith from Slant Magazine agreed by saying: “By its conclusion, what we’re left with is a cinematic Frankenstein, whose disparate genre elements have been cobbled together without much consideration or fuss.”

Robert Kojder from Flickering Myth stated: “A head-scratching disaster that doesn’t so much as mix genres and tones but rather puzzlingly cycles through them with no apparent reason or thematic purpose, desperately hoping something starts to click.”

Out of the 24 critics reviews on the site, not one rated the John Cena comedy more than 2 stars. However, regular Rotten Tomatoes moviegoers were a lot more forgiving.

Jen W said: “Is it the best movie ever made? No, but it’s an entertaining movie with a lot of twists and turns as they try to figure out who to trust. It’s a comedy/action movie and it delivers. It definitely keeps you interested in what’s going to happen next. I’d watch it again. I recommend it!”

Samuel S agreed: “Great movie. Funny, had a good plot, not slow, and good characters/acting. One of the better action movies I’ve seen lately.”

Freelance is currently available to watch in theaters. Check out our other TV & Movies hubs below: