5 Netflix Original Movies Critics Say You Should Avoid

Netflix has transformed from a DVD rental service into a content behemoth producing hundreds of original films annually. While the platform has delivered acclaimed works like Roma, The Irishman, and Glass Onion, its massive output inevitably includes significant misfires. Several high-profile releases have drawn particular ire from critics and audiences alike for poor execution, questionable thematic choices, or squandering exceptional talent on underdeveloped material.

The following analysis examines five Netflix original films that stand out as especially disappointing entries. These titles represent different genres—from explosive action to dystopian science fiction—but share common failures in storytelling, messaging, or tonal execution that make them worth skipping during your next browsing session.

The Price of Blockbuster Ambitions: Action Misfires

Netflix has invested heavily in star-driven action spectacles, often recruiting A-list talent and allocating nine-figure budgets to compete with theatrical blockbusters. However, two particularly expensive productions demonstrate how massive resources cannot compensate for thin characterization and incoherent narratives.

6 Underground (2019) represents perhaps the most egregious example of style over substance in the streaming service’s catalog. Directed by Michael Bay with a reported budget of $150 million, the film follows Ryan Reynolds as Magnet S. Johnson, a billionaire who witnesses atrocities in the fictional nation of Turgistan and subsequently recruits a team of international operatives to serve as vigilantes. The cast includes Mélanie Laurent as a spy, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as an assassin, Ben Hardy as a thief, Adria Arjona as a doctor, and Dave Franco as a getaway driver, with Corey Hawkins later joining as a sniper. Despite this ensemble of capable performers, the film devolves into a series of explosive set pieces devoid of meaningful stakes or character development. Critics noted that the premise of a benevolent billionaire funding extrajudicial violence felt particularly tone-deaf, while the numbered codename structure—Reynolds becomes “One,” Laurent “Two,” and so on—failed to establish genuine personalities beneath the chaos.

Red Notice (2021) similarly wasted the combined star power of Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot on a hollow heist narrative. Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, the film casts Johnson as FBI profiler John Hartley, who pursues art thief Nolan Booth (Reynolds) across multiple continents in search of a jeweled egg allegedly owned by Cleopatra. Gadot appears as rival thief Sarah “The Bishop” Black, whose entrance complicates the cat-and-mouse dynamic. Despite the inherent charisma of its leads, the film offers no substantive plotting or thematic weight, functioning primarily as a vehicle for attractive stars to exchange quips against exotic backdrops. Reviewers criticized the project as an empty spectacle that asks audiences to content themselves with star-watching rather than engaging storytelling.

Fantasy Worldbuilding Gone Wrong: When Allegories Fail

Attempting to address serious social issues through genre premises requires careful execution, as demonstrated by a 2017 urban fantasy that struggled to articulate its intended commentary on race and policing.

Bright, directed by David Ayer from a screenplay by Max Landis, posits an alternate Los Angeles where humans coexist alongside magical creatures including orcs and elves. Will Smith stars as Daryl Ward, a police officer paired with Nick Jakoby (Joel Edgerton), the department’s first orc officer. The narrative explores Ward’s initial resentment toward Jakoby—stemming from a previous incident where Ward was shot by an orc and Jakoby failed to intervene—before forcing the duo to cooperate during a hostage situation involving an elven girl. The film attempts to use its fantasy elements as allegory for real-world racial dynamics and police relations, but critics found its messaging muddled at best and problematic at worst. The worldbuilding drew particular criticism for laziness, with the film’s metaphors for systemic racism proving surface-level and confusing. Despite performances from talented actors including Noomi Rapace, Édgar Ramírez, and Ike Barinholtz, the project failed to illuminate its subject matter, with many suggesting that analysis of the film’s flaws proves more engaging than the work itself.

Controversial True Crime: The Bundy Biopic Problem

The true crime genre faces ongoing criticism regarding the potential glorification of violent criminals, a debate that intensified following the release of a 2019 biographical drama about one of America’s most infamous serial killers.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, directed by Joe Berlinger, adapts Elizabeth Kendall’s memoir The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy. The narrative follows Kendall (played by Lily Collins) as she falls in love with Bundy (Zac Efron) and builds a domestic life with him and her daughter, remaining unaware of his murders. The film deliberately emphasizes Bundy’s documented charm and physical attractiveness—traits he historically used to lure victims—as experienced through Kendall’s perspective. While Efron received some praise for his performance, critics and historians raised concerns that casting a conventionally handsome, likable actor as Bundy risked flattering the killer and contributing to problematic “fan” cultures surrounding violent criminals. The film joined a broader conversation about whether certain true crime narratives inadvertently lionize sociopathic figures rather than centering victim experiences or systemic analysis of violence.

Dystopian YA Fatigue: Uglies and the Genre’s Decline

The young adult dystopian boom that produced franchises like The Hunger Games has largely subsided, yet Netflix attempted to revive the format in 2024 with disappointing results.

Uglies, directed by McG and based on Scott Westerfeld’s novel, stars Joey King as Tally Youngblood in a society where cosmetic surgery at age 16 transforms “Uglies” into “Pretties” who then migrate to an isolated city. The premise involves a world suffering from resource scarcity that somehow led to mandatory genetic modification and strict aesthetic hierarchies. Critics immediately identified the film as a derivative entry in a saturated genre, unfavorably comparing it to Divergent and other YA adaptations while noting its failure to match the quality of The Hunger Games. The execution of its central metaphor—ostensibly critiquing societal beauty standards—proved particularly troubled, with the film’s conclusion apparently undermining its own message about self-acceptance. Despite the presence of capable performers including King, Keith Powers, and Laverne Cox, the project failed to overcome its underdeveloped worldbuilding and confused thematic execution.

Common Threads: What These Failures Share

Across these five disparate titles, several patterns emerge that explain their critical reception. Each film had access to significant resources, whether through nine-figure budgets or acclaimed casts, yet failed to translate these advantages into coherent storytelling. Questionable messaging proved a recurring issue, from Bright’s confused racial allegory to Uglies’ twisted beauty standards commentary to Extremely Wicked’s potentially glorifying portrayal of violence.

The reliance on star power over substance appeared particularly problematic in Red Notice and 6 Underground, where celebrity charisma could not compensate for hollow narratives. Meanwhile, Uglies demonstrated the risks of entering saturated genres without fresh perspectives, arriving too late for the dystopian YA boom and offering little to distinguish itself from superior predecessors.

Movies to Skip at a Glance:

• 6 Underground (2019): Michael Bay directs Ryan Reynolds in a $150 million explosion-heavy vigilante thriller
• Bright (2017): Will Smith and Joel Edgerton in a fantasy cop drama with muddled racial allegory
• Red Notice (2021): Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot in an empty art-heist spectacle
• Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019): Zac Efron as Ted Bundy in a controversial biopic
• Uglies (2024): Joey King stars in a dystopian YA adaptation directed by McG

What’s After the Movie?

Navigating Netflix’s extensive catalog—separating genuine gems from expensive misfires—requires reliable critical guidance. At What’s After the Movie, we provide comprehensive coverage of streaming releases, box office analysis, and spoiler-free summaries to help you make informed viewing decisions. Explore our movie database for detailed information on these titles and thousands of others, or check our industry news section for the latest updates on what to watch and what to skip.