Summary
- Jennifer Lopez is known for her romcoms, which are often critically panned by audiences.
- However, people around the world continue to watch them even decades after their release.
- Recently, one of J.Lo's movies broke into the Netflix top 10.
- Let's try to find out why viewers love it so much.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Jennifer Lopez is the queen of poorly reviewed movies. More than half of the films she stars in are marked 'rotten' by both critics and viewers. But are they really that bad? The latest Netflix stats prove otherwise.
J.Lo Comedy Enters Netflix Top 10
Jennifer Lopez's acting career is best known for her romantic comedies, some of which (The Wedding Planner & Shall We Dance? for example) have long since earned the status of instant romance classics.
Even though the majority of J.Lo's comedies were filmed between 2000 and the early 2010s and are rated 60% and below on Rotten Tomatoes (which makes them Rotten, according to the site's terminology), the demand for them never dies and audiences worldwide still don't hesitate to turn them on when they need a lighthearted story to escape to.
This is proven by the recent surprising change in the Netflix global top 10. The metrics-focused portal Flix Patrol reported that one of Lopez's romcoms suddenly entered the streaming giant's charts in many countries (excluding the U.S.), even reaching second place in some.
This is 2010's The Back-up Plan, written by Kate Angelo and directed by Alan Poul.
Why are people watching it?
Jennifer Lopez plays a single, lonely woman, Zoe, who gives up hope of finding a worthy man and opts for being a single mother. Ironically, on the day of her artificial insemination, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin), who seems perfect for her. But will Stan want to start a relationship with a woman who may be pregnant?
When it premiered on April 23, 2010 (yes, The Back-up Plan will soon turn 14 years old, crazy, huh?), the romcom did quite well at the box office, doubling its production budget. But it didn't get glowing reviews.
Viewers note that Jennifer Lopez is as energetic and charming as ever, but the role of Zoe is not exactly memorable. While the plot begins with a somewhat melodramatic twist and has a fresh take on family planning, it relies on a recycled formula and is quite predictable.
So why do people keep coming back to The Back-up Plan 14 years later? Well, it seems that clichéd and predictable doesn't feel so bad in today's turbulent times. Zoe and Stan are a beautiful, chemistry-driven couple whose bumpy road will 100% lead to a happy ending.
And that's exactly what we need from escapist stories. Right?
Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Flix Patrol.