To the dismay of many, Adam Sandler once starred in an epic mash-up of video game IPs called Pixels, a widely-panned commercial flop that is now finding new life on Netflix. The film featured a host of iconic cameos, including Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, as well as an A-list supporting cast and crew. It’s still considered a very, very bad film, but Letterboxd users are now finding joy in what could be deemed a “so bad it’s good’ masterpiece.
On Letterboxd, Pixels is finding some love from movie fans, but not necessarily for the right reasons. The latest ratings arrive while Pixels rises the Netflix charts, ranging from two and a half stars to a full five stars (the perfect rating has to be sarcastic, right?). “Why are the reviews so bad??? YA’LL HATE FUN 🙄,” reads one review that shockingly praised the Sandler film. Meanwhile, some aren’t even sure why they like the movie, with Letterboxd user matt saying, “i love this movie for no reason at all, josh gadd is weak asf.” However, one user unironically enjoyed Pixels, claiming it was “Truly not as bad as ppl played it out to be.” What’s most shocking is that it seems most positive reviews come from a much younger generation than the video game characters included in Pixels are meant for.
Released nearly 10 years ago, Pixels came out in 2015 and starred Sandler, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, and Kevin James. The story follows a group of old-school arcade players battling against an alien invasion that has taken the form of classic video game characters. The nonsensical plot aside, Pixels features wacky performances, especially Dinklage, and an impressive amount of iconic imagery hardcore video game fans will instantly recognize. If nostalgia is what you’re looking for, then Pixels may be worth a try.
Pixels Levels Up on Netflix Streaming Chart
In recent years, video game adaptations have been making a major comeback. From the Emmy-winning The Last of Us HBO series to the blockbuster smash-hit franchise Sonic the Hedgehog, the underrated genre has come a long way. But that doesn’t mean some duds don’t deserve some recognition, too, and that is now the case for Pixels. The Adam Sandler-led pic is finding an audience on Netflix, becoming the third most-streamed offering in the United States as of October 14, 2024. In all fairness, Netflix is known for housing and revitalizing box office bombs — *cough* Madame Web *cough* — but Pixels is probably one of the few “truly bad” video game adaptations to do so.
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If Pixels is not your cup of tea, and there is a good likelihood that it’s not, there are still plenty of good video game adaptations ready to be watched on Netflix. Hayley Atwell stars in an animated Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft series for Netflix, which recently debuted to positive reviews and reactions. Most famously, Netflix houses the critically-acclaimed Castlevania adaptation, which is more than worth the binge, although its future is now in doubt. Meanwhile, Adam Sandler also has a good amount of his most recent work on the streaming platform, including Hubie Halloween and the upcoming Happy Gilmore sequel currently in production.
- Release Date
- July 16, 2015
- Director
- Chris Columbus
- Runtime
- 105