Critics Aren't Holding Back On Jennifer Lopez's Netflix Movie Atlas
Jennifer Lopez is back on the block with a brand new sci-fi flick that critics are tearing to shreds. Earlier this year, Lopez starred in a controversial Super Bowl 2024 commercial with her beau Ben Affleck, released a bold vanity documentary in the form of "This Is Me ... Now: A Love Story," and now she has Netflix's "Atlas." The film, which was released on May 24, is nothing short of a critical bomb, boasting a 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics aren't holding back on this one, with The Hollywood Reporter's Angie Han bolding calling it "another Netflix movie made to half-watch while doing laundry." Ouch!
The overall consensus seems to be that the film doesn't have much of a soul, nor does it know what to do with its ambitious sci-fi themes. "Hidden somewhere beneath all the generic dialogue, embarrassing plot, mediocre action and oddly ineffective performances, there's a good idea in Brad Peyton's 'Atlas.' It's a shame the filmmakers never found it," wrote William Bibbiani for The Wrap.
Some critics are notably disappointed with Lopez's performance, with Variety's Todd Gilchrist expecting more from the multi-hyphenate creative. "One might think that would lead her to take more risks — strike-outs are more respectable when they follow big swings. But 'Atlas' is predictable, overlong and bland, the kind of experience it's hard to get excited about when the star player seems to be perfunctorily running the bases," Gilchrist wrote.
Atlas is a sci-fi flick that tackles AI
It's not quite fair to say that Jennifer Lopez is a bad actress. In fact, the superstar has starred in tons of amazing movies (albeit alongside her fair share of duds), with many of her fans pointing out her versatility. Lopez has done rom-coms, dramas, biopics, thrillers — you name it. Which is why it's so disappointing that "Atlas" is another misfire. Jennifer Lopez stars as Atlas, a data analyst who goes on a mission to capture an out-of-control robot, with Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown rounding out the supporting cast. Most critics are mixed on "Atlas," praising some of its ideas and themes, but mainly pointing out how it doesn't amount to much.
IndieWire critic Kate Erbland thinks "Atlas" is disposable entertainment with not much to say. "Mostly, it all looks like a video game cut scene, which isn't just a ding on its overall aesthetics (cheap), but its general narrative thrust (weak, silly). The closer you pay attention to those elements, the harder they are to ignore, and the less even vaguely entertaining this all is," Erbland wrote.
Audiences aren't fans of Netflix's "Atlas" either. "JLo was horrible as expected, but the robot AI was fun. This should be a video game, but I guess Netflix decided to make it a mildly entertaining action movie," wrote user Parzi Pan in a two-star review on Letterboxd.
Based on how mediocre "Atlas" seems to be, audiences are far better off checking out Lopez's rom-com that's currently blowing up the charts on Netflix.