Prime Video’s New Movie With Batman & Star Wars Franchise Stars Is an Instant Hit (Despite Bad Reviews)

It’s the holiday season, which means people will be cueing up Christmas-themed movies throughout the month, getting into the festive spirit. Undoubtedly, viewers have their lists of personal favorites they return to every December, but each year also sees new releases arrive on the scene and attempt to carve out a place in audiences’ hearts. There aren’t any high-profile Christmas movies opening in theaters this December, but the streaming services have people covered. One of the more notable new holiday titles is Oh. What. Fun., which assembled a star-studded cast of familiar faces. Though it’s no critical darling, the film is doing well on Prime Video.

According to FlixPatrol, which measures the popularity of titles on various streaming services, Oh. What. Fun. ranks seventh on the list of Prime Video’s top 10 movies. It debuted on Wednesday, December 3rd. While the film is proving to be a sizable draw in living rooms, critics weren’t impressed by Oh. What. Fun., which has a 37% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Ironically, considering the movie’s success on streaming, the audience score is even worse (26%).

What Is Oh. What. Fun. About?

Oh. What. Fun. stars former Catwoman Michelle Pfeiffer as Claire Clauster, a housewife who always goes above and beyond when planning Christmas to ensure it’s a special time for her whole family. She finds herself at the end of her rope after she’s accidentally left home alone while the rest of her family attends a Christmas dance show. In response, Claire decides to mix things up and focuses on herself for a change, embarking on her own wild holiday adventure. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story star Felicity Jones, Kick-Ass star Chloë Grace Moretz, Amazing Spider-Man actor Denis Leary, and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t star Dominic Sessa star as various members of Claire’s family, who attempt to find her after she disappears.

Though Oh. What. Fun.‘s premise has potential and the cast is certainly impressive, it does not appear destined to be the next holiday classic. Several of the negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes make similar points about an underwhelming, under-cooked script that doesn’t make the most of its actors’ talents. While there’s something to admire in the film’s desire to shine a light on hardworking moms who go underappreciated during the holiday season, the execution falls flat. It’s shame, because director Michael Showalter had put together a string of well-received films, including the Oscar-nominated The Big Sick and Spoiler Alert. In the past, Showalter has demonstrated a knack for crafting movies that blend humor with genuine human emotion, so it’s unfortunate he wasn’t able to crack the code for this Christmas comedy.

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It’s easy to see why Oh. What. Fun. was able to overcome its rocky word of mouth and become a streaming hit. For starters, the timing of its release was perfect, coinciding with the holiday season rush. Building a movie around someone feeling the stress of making sure Christmas is perfect makes the project relatable to many people looking for something festive-themed to check out. The ensemble cast is eye-catching as well, giving Oh. What. Fun. an edge over other titles on Prime. Casual audiences are more likely to gravitate towards something that has big names like Pfeiffer, Jones, and Leary attached than a different Christmas movie that’s available.

In today’s theatrical landscape, Oh. What. Fun. is the kind of movie that would get overshadowed at the multiplex. It was a smart move to send this straight to streaming, where it had a much better chance of finding an audience. Especially when factoring in the negative reviews, Oh. What. Fun. would be a hard sell for general moviegoers on the big screen, and it’s a lot easier to draw those same people in when all they have to do is push “play” at home. It would have been nice if Oh. What. Fun. lived up to its potential, but at least Prime can enjoy the high viewership numbers — and people might return to this title annually when it’s Christmas time.

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