Why The Bubble Isn't Getting The Reaction Netflix Hoped For

Netflix has become a premier destination for movie lovers. The streaming platform releases a minimum of one new movie a week, offering audiences the best in drama, comedy, science-fiction, and more. Of course, not every movie can be a hit.

That brings us to the latest Netflix film to grace the "New Releases" column — "The Bubble." The film stars Karen Gillan, Iris Apatow, Leslie Mann, and more as a group of actors filming a movie in the midst of the pandemic. As such, they must remain in their filmmaking bubble until the movie is complete, which is apparently easier said than done. As the production drags on, the cast slowly loses their minds, desperately wanting to find a way out of their haunting quagmire. 

With comedy legend Judd Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up") behind the camera as director, it certainly sounds like the movie would have all the underpinnings of an instant hit. However, the opposite seems to have come to fruition, as Netflix is probably baffled at how its massive comedy flick has fallen so low.

Many viewers turn to Rotten Tomatoes before watching a new movie. It's a good way to get a quick snapshot to see what critics are saying about new releases so that you can determine if a particular story is worth your time or not. And when it comes to "The Bubble," there's a good chance that anyone who turned to the site decided not to watch "The Bubble" after seeing what critics had to say. 

The film currently stands at 24% on the Tomatometer from critics, with the consensus from the site being, "Meandering and mostly unfunny, 'The Bubble' gums up an all-star cast with hackneyed gags about showbiz and pandemic life." Those sentiments can be seen throughout many critics' reviews, as many of them believed the movie wasn't as funny as its comedic pedigree would ordinarily suggest, and everything it has to say about both the pandemic and show business has been done better before.

Just take this sample from Jessica Kiang of The Los Angeles Times, "A movie so staggeringly unfunny as to be barely recognizable as comedy at all." Adam White of Independent thought there was promise in the premise, but ultimately, the film simply fell short: "There are occasional flashes of barbed, satirical wit here. Generally, though, 'The Bubble' resembles a flutter of loose ideas, to which a vast ensemble of reliably funny actors have been tasked with adding [color]." Suffice to say, it's probably not the reaction Netflix hoped for with its massive comedy, and hopefully, future endeavors fare better.