Netflix is offering subscribers a new original film to watch this weekend, but in a routine that’s becoming grimly predictable at this point, it seems like another dud already being torn apart by critics.
Persuasion is the latest Netflix original film that seems set to be a flop, at least when it comes to its critical reception the film might not be a hit in terms of viewership just yet.
At first glance, Persuasion seems to have quite a bit to offer, with a frothy trailer and a popular star. But like so many Netflix movies of late, the final product doesn’t seem quite finished yet.
Table of Contents
What is “Convince” about?
Persuasion is a romantic drama based on the Jane Austen classic of the same name. While the book has seen numerous television adaptations over the years, this Netflix film marks the first time it has been adapted into a feature film.
The film stars Dakota Johnson as Anne Elliot, a non-conforming woman with modern-day sensibilities. Due to their family’s financial difficulties, they are forced to cut back on their expenses and take the drastic step of renting out their posh home, Kellynch Hall, to an admiral and his wife.
This results in Captain Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) returning to Anne’s life. The two have a complicated past as they were once engaged before Anne was persuaded by her friends and family to call it quits. Now with a second chance at love, she must choose to put the past behind her or follow her heart.
However, things get even more complicated when Anne piques the interest of William Elliot (Henry Golding) and a kind of love triangle forms between the trio.
This version of the popular Austen tale is still a historical piece, but it’s been given some modern touches. For starters, Anne frequently breaks the fourth wall to monologue directly with the audience (described as “Fleabag”-esque in one review). Also, much of the dialogue has been tweaked to make it a bit more up to date.
What do critics say about Persuasion?
Persuasion only hit Netflix today (Friday, July 15), but critics’ words so far have been anything but flattering. On Rotten tomatoes (opens in new tab) The film scores a very poor 33%, which would indicate that this is another Netflix film that doesn’t hit the mark.
Deborah Ross of The audience (opens in new tab) wrote scathingly, “This isn’t one of those movies that’s so bad it’s good. Instead, it’s so bad it’s boring. It could be the longest hour and 49 minutes of your life.”
The New York Times (opens in new tab)Teo Bugbee criticized the film’s attempt to be both an accurate adaptation of Austen’s original work and attempt to appeal to a modern audience: “The contrast between the modernized dialogue and Austen’s contemporary language only makes both styles seem more mannered.”
Justin Chang from The Los Angeles Times had similar issues with the film, saying, “[Persusasion] seems to have taken sentences from the novel and fed them through some kind of idiot bot that filters Instagram, generates tags and summarizes texts.”
But not all of his reviews have been entirely negative, Johnson’s performance has earned some praise. And Odie Henderson from The Boston Globe argued, “The solid casting cements the more noticeable cracks in the story.” However, the general consensus seems to be that Persuasion falls a bit short.
Analysis: Netflix needs to change something
Netflix is currently in a real quality chill when it comes to original movies. From Spiderhead to The Man from Toronto, Senior Year to The Bubble, Interceptor to 365 Days: This Day, the list of duds seems to get longer every week.
While the constant stream of disappointing new releases has meant that some older movies in the service’s library got some well-deserved time in the spotlight – we’ll take any excuse to rewatch Mean Girls or Wanted – Netflix could really use a real hit, etc .
The streamer’s next big tentpole release, The Gray Man, is just around the corner. The global action film, which stars Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling, is slated to hit theaters on July 22nd. Unfortunately, according to early rumors, this movie is expected to be yet another disappointment, which could be the turning point for some subscribers.
2022 was a pretty grueling year all round for Netflix, as the service saw its first quarter-on-quarter drop in subscribers and was also regularly criticized for the perceived drop in quality of its original content. Another disappointing film in the form of Persuasion won’t help that perception.
As shows like Stranger Things and The Umbrella Academy continue to strike gold, there’s an argument that Netflix is faltering outside of its mega-hits. If Netflix wants to remain on our list of the best streaming services, we need to start seeing more consistent quality in original content or its competitors could overtake it.
