Critically Panned Star Trek Movie Becomes Surprising Streaming Hit

Despite receiving some of the harshest reviews in the franchise’s history, Paramount+’s Star Trek: Section 31 has emerged as a significant streaming success. The Michelle Yeoh-led film debuted at #8 on Nielsen’s streaming charts for the week ending January 26, garnering an impressive 170 million viewing minutes despite being available for only three days during the measured period. This unexpected performance places the film among the top 10 most-watched streaming movies that week, surpassing several competitors with better critical reception and positioning it as one of only two original streaming films to make the list alongside Netflix’s top-ranked Back in Action. The achievement represents a curious disconnect between critical opinion and viewer interest. It suggests that franchise loyalty and Yeoh’s star power may outweigh the overwhelmingly negative professional assessments that have plagued the project since its January 24 release.

Section 31’s critical reception has been historically poor for the Star Trek franchise. With a dismal 17% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 4.30/10 based on 46 reviews, Section 31 currently holds the dubious distinction of being the lowest-rated Star Trek property in the franchise’s nearly 60-year history. Critics have overwhelmingly panned the film for its narrative structure, tone, and perceived deviation from Star Trek‘s established values, with the film’s official Rotten Tomatoes consensus reading, “Beam it out of here, Scotty,” jokingly referencing the franchise’s famous catchphrase.

[RELATED:  Zoe Saldana Addresses Long Star Trek 4 Wait: “We Need to do This Quickly”]

Many critics have also pointed to issues with Section 31‘s connection to the rest of the Star Trek franchise and its tonal shift toward action and comedy. Section 31 has faced criticism not only for its execution but also for its concept, which some believe contradicts creator Gene Roddenberry’s optimistic vision of the future. The film portrays a covert intelligence agency operating within the seemingly utopian United Federation of Planets, dealing with the kinds of morally ambiguous situations and espionage tactics that traditional Star Trek narratives typically avoid or explicitly condemn. While Paramount+ hasn’t released official viewership data beyond the Nielsen reporting, the numbers suggest that existing Star Trek fans and followers of Yeoh’s career were motivated to give the film a chance regardless of reviews.

What Is Star Trek: Section 31 About?

Set in the franchise’s “lost era” between the events of the original Star Trek films and The Next Generation series, Star Trek: Section 31 follows Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou, the former Terran Emperor from the Mirror Universe who previously appeared in Star Trek: Discovery. After being transported to a different point in the Star Trek timeline, Georgiou becomes the owner of the Baraam, a nightclub outside Federation space, where she’s recruited by Agent Alok (Omari Hardwick) to join Section 31, a secretive black ops division of Starfleet.

The film focuses on Georgiou’s mission to stop a deadly weapon called the “Godsend” from falling into the wrong hands. She leads a diverse team of specialized operatives on this high-stakes adventure. Her crew includes a shapeshifting Chameloid named Quasi (Sam Richardson), an agent with a mechanical exoskeleton named Zeph (Robert Kazinsky), and future USS Enterprise-C captain Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl). The central conflict involves San (James Hiroyuki Liao), a former lover and rival from the Mirror Universe seeking revenge against Georgiou, who enslaved him when she ascended to the Terran throne.

Star Trek: Section 31‘s performance may also influence Paramount’s future plans for the franchise. With the conclusion of Discovery and the ongoing development of other projects like Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, the streaming success of Section 31 could encourage further experimentation with the television film format.

Did you watch Star Trek: Section 31? If so, do you agree with the critical consensus? Let us know in the comments!