Even if you’ve been living under a rock, the consistently record-breaking performance of Spider-Man: No Way Home is news you’ve probably heard by now. That winning doesn’t seem to be slowing, as Tom Holland’s third solo Spidey trek has already crossed $1 billion in worldwide grosses. On top of that financial reign, the movie has set a cool record when it comes to Rotten Tomatoes, thanks to a vastly impressive audience score.
Apparently, in the entire history of the Verified Audience Ratings program, director Jon Watts’ latest entry into the Marvel canon is the highest-rated title. With a 99% approval rating on the site’s fan-driven metrics, no other film, not even former golden child Paddington 2, has that sort of juice. The news came courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes’ announcement on Twitter, which boasted this MCU milestone as follows:
With a 99% Audience Score #SpiderManNoWayHome is currently our highest rated movie with a minimum of 20k Verified Audience Ratings: https://t.co/27HmeXoO3l pic.twitter.com/xnsoMQkc7wDecember 23, 2021
Unlike other fan metrics, like those used by Fandango or IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes Verified Audience Ratings are linked to actual ticket purchases. So 99% of the people who bought a ticket to Spider-Man: No Way Home, and also use RT to record their reactions, thought the wait was well worth the time. Or, at least, that rating was fresh when the site captured it as of 12/23/21. At the time of this writing, which is a few days after that announcement, things have changed just a tiny bit.
Already, the 25,000+ audience ratings for the film have dropped a percentage point, as a recent look sees Spider-Man: No Way Home at a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, only one percentage point lost in several days doesn’t seem all that bad, and only indicates just how beloved the film actually is. With some fans even pushing for the film to get a Best Picture nomination at this year’s Academy Awards, the hype surrounding Peter Parker’s latest adventures can’t be undersold.
Records are made to be broken, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, for a time, got to hold onto a pretty exciting distinction. It happens to the best of movies, as even Paddington 2 found itself dethroned from its previously perfect perch. That doesn’t change the fact that the future of the MCU will undoubtedly be banking hard on whatever the Spider-Verse decides to do. There's plenty of records to still be broken, and the party feels like it's only just beginning for this already promising box office hit.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently in theaters, and if you’re a Rotten Tomatoes user, you could potentially raise the film’s audience rating back to 99%. It’s not like the movie’s going to leave theaters any time soon. Also, if you’re feeling it’s time to head to greener, more varied pastures, 2022’s release schedule has the wide open spaces you’re looking for. Thanks to the mind-blowing results that have been enjoyed by both Sony and Disney, it’s a good sign that movie theaters still hold a special place in the hearts of potential audiences.
