Dave Cunningham
Netflix frequently updates its movie listing, and it seems like its decision to drop The Happytime Murders, the 2018 raunchy comedy led by Melissa McCarthy on November 30th, is one of the best decisions the company has made lately.
The crime comedy film directed by Brian Henson managed to abhor many, and it hasn’t improved over the years during its streaming on Netflix either. Many viewers disliked the not-so-funny joke attempts made by the puppet cast, starring along some of Hollywood’s biggest comedy cast, including Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, Elizabeth Banks, and Leslie David Baker.
The movie failed to deliver magic despite its promising elements, and couldn’t quite be categorized as PG-13 due to its adult content, such as puppets doing naughty stuff and drug usage. It didn’t impress adult watchers either, with some claiming that The Sausage Party was a less bitter pill to swallow.
The Happytime Murders received 23% rotten tomatoes from 248 critic reviews and scored only 39% on the audience board. Some of the top critics’ remarks include:
Donald Clarke from the Irish Times: “it’s rare that the Worst Film of the Year looks as if it was made with that title in mind.”
Clarisse Loughrey from That Darn Movie Show: “it’s like aliens took over the bodies of all talented people and wreaked havoc.”
Larusha Ivan-Zadeh from Times (UK): “with multiple scenes of drug-snorting and depraved puppet sex, including an admittedly hilariously drawn-out ejaculation scene… it’s worth emphasising that this is not one for the kiddies.”
The film grossed only $27 million from the box office, coming short of its $ 40 million budget.
Are you happy or bummed that The Happytime Murders will soon be off Netflix? Let’s hope Netflix gets the better of us with less cringe-worthy content.
