Internet Users Are Finding A Ton Of Movies Critics Were Wrong About (But The Audience Gets), And Some Of These Are Doozies

There’s been a lot of recent 2025 movie releases that have been lukewarmly received by critics, but loved by audiences. For instance, critics were angrier than a Red Hulk over Captain American: Brave New World with a 49% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences gave the MCU flick an 80%. The same could be said about Mel Gibson’s Flight Risk, which survived terrible reviews but still received a 63% audience score. Well, internet users are going back to more examples throughout film history of times when critics were wrong about movies that resonated with audiences. I have to admit, some of them are real doozies.

Critics and audiences tend to have differing opinions on what makes a great movie. This is all the more reason why it’s beneficial that Rotten Tomatoes added a new Popcornmeter to show an audience score matters just as much when judging if a movie is worth seeing. Internet users are proving more and more how an audience’s opinion varies from the critics with an X feed showing some real doozy of examples:

Bullet Train (Critics 54%, Audiences 76%)

@RealEmirHan started an X feed of movies critics were wrong about. They started off with Brad Pitt’s Bullet Train, which got it a low 54% from critics scores, but audiences a 76%. While critics called it “weak” and “shooting nothing but blanks,” many enjoyed the 2022 action flick for being funnier than you’d guess and its high-intense fight scenes.

Jumper (Critics 15%, Audiences 44%)

@Dalton_Walsh called the teleportation movie Jumper a “fun” movie that deserved a higher rating. Unfortunately, the Hayden Christensen-led flick is an example of a poor movie with a great plot. It’s a cool concept to transport wherever you want but fails to fully explore the world between Jumpers and those trying to eradicate them.

Waiting…(Critics 29%, Audiences 75%)

One of Ryan Reynolds’ earliest smart-ass roles before Deadpool was Waiting…, which was about the comedy antics of restaurant employees. @MatthewFalker pointed out what a “must” the low-reviewed indie comedy was and even more relatable if you work in the food service industry. Even if critics weren’t chucking at the flick’s comedy, audiences found it humorous enough to consider it a classic.

Man on Fire (Critics 38%, Audiences 89%)

It’s hard to believe that one of the best action movies of the 2000s, Man on Fire, got a Rotten score of 38%, as brought up by @JonKatz79. Some would argue it’s one of Denzel Washington’s best works, and he had memorable chemistry with his young co-star Dakota Fanning. Even Jenna Ortega credited the action-thriller for getting her into acting. Clearly, it still hit the hearts of audiences.

With so many examples of audiences favoring a movie more than the critics, it’s clear that audiences have their own elements of what makes a movie worth their time. If a movie can evoke positive feelings despite its flaws, it’s a success in its own right.