Netflix Subscribers Are Obsessing Over This Keanu Reeves Sci-Fi Flop
Science fiction is full of stories about people who go to extraordinary lengths to undo the certainty of death. That is the subject of the Keanu Reeves starring "Replicas." The 2018 film sees Reeves playing William Foster, a brilliant neuroscientist working on a government project to use human consciousness to create android soldiers. When his entire family is killed in a car crash, though, he decides to refocus his work. Instead of using his skills and research to create a new being, he'll use them to bring his dead loved ones back to life. What could go wrong? As it turns out, quite a lot!
That classic premise with a modern twist didn't really impress critics or audiences when the movie first hit theaters. It garnered a grim 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and only brought in $9.3 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). But as we've seen again and again, there's no flop so floppy that it can't be rescued by time and a spot in Netflix's library. In fact, "Replicas” is currently on Netflix's list of the top 10 most viewed movies on the platform.
Despite the crummy reviews, there is a good reason why this sci-fi bomb is worth giving a second look.
Some critics think Replicas enters "so bad it's fun" territory
Here's the thing about "Replicas": if you're looking for a review that offers anything resembling enthusiastic praise, you're unlikely to have any luck. That doesn't mean the movie should be avoided, though. Even though it got overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics, there were some who found that the goofy story and wild twist ending makes the film worth the ride (especially now that you can just stream it on Netflix).
Brian Orndorf of Blu-Ray.com wrote that the film is "always more intriguing in weird science mode." Despite believing the premise and execution weren't particularly fresh, Orndorf did note that the decisions made by Reeves's character give the film "a pleasing boost of insanity, which Reeves plays well."
Writing for Midwest Film Journal, Evan Dossey called the movie's conclusion "dumb in impressive and unexpected ways." Lest you think that's a condemnation of the movie, Dossey clarified that the sheer spectacle outweighs the quality. "It simply has to be seen to be believed," he wrote. "I've not seen an ending quite like this in a long, long time."
Alexandra August of CBR.com praised the cast of the film for "elevating the project to any kind of watchability." Like other reviewers, she found the movie "ridiculous enough to be funny" and called it a "guilty pleasure."
Whether you're watching for Reeves or because you can't resist a "so bad it's fun" type of feature, you can currently stream "Replicas" on Netflix.