Madame Web Already Available At Home After Awful Reaction
It’s no secret that Madame Web was a flop in theaters, being panned by critics, ignored by audiences, and even criticized by its own cast. But even though it is such a notable flop, audiences were surprised to see the movie available for digital purchase so soon after its release. It’s available on platforms such as Amazon and Google Play as of March 15, just a month after it was released in theaters.
All-Star Cast But Big Miss
The movie was released by Sony in theaters on February 14, 2024, with little fanfare.
Despite an all-star cast including Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O’Connor, Emma Roberts, and Adam Scott Madame Web failed to draw audiences back to the theaters.
It tells the origin story of the psychic Madame Web as well as various incarnations of Spider-Woman.
Digital Version
The digital version of the movie will also come with bonus features that, in addition to being cheaper than a trip to the theater may bring some new viewers to the movie despite its reputation.
Features like a gag reel and deleted scenes may be enough to warrant a purchase for some. These types of bonus features are popular with film fans, but it’s not likely to salvage a movie like Madame Web.
Madame Web’s Terrible Box Office
The general reception to Madame Web was negative, with the movie having a disappointing opening week, earning only $25.8 million in its opening week.
While the movie’s box office earnings did eventually surpass its $80 million budget, it wasn’t by enough for the movie to be considered a success financially.
This is likely why Sony was so quick to release the movie on digital platforms, as a way to make up for low earnings at the box office with digital sales.
Critical Reception
The critical reception for Madame Web was also incredibly poor, drawing nearly universal negative reviews.
The movie received a very low score on Rotten Tomatoes of only 13% reflecting that almost every review of the movie was negative. Critics panned the movie’s dialogue, pacing, characterization, and wanton product placement with some critics going so far as to declare it the worst modern superhero movie.
Cast Hated It Too
Even the cast of Madam Web have openly talked negatively. Dakota Johnson claimed she would never act in a movie like Madame Web again, calling it a movie made by committee. Sydney Sweeny also poked fun at the flop on her recent Saturday Night Live appearance.
With such a negative reception it’s unsurprising that Madame Web has become a source for numerous memes across social media. The most popular meme, of course, is the notorious line “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died” which comes from the movie’s trailer and was popular enough to be mocked at The Oscars.
The movie being more popular as a meme than an actual piece of art mirrors another Sony superhero flop, 2022’s Morbius.
Sony Knows Something?
Perhaps Sony is counting on the ironic, memetic, appreciation for the movie to bolster these digital sales and are releasing it early in an attempt to capture that audience before social media moves on from mocking the movie.
As a universally derided film, Madame Web is in a perfect position to become a cult classic in the “so bad it’s good” canon, which at this point may be the best the movie can hope for. However, the failed theatrical rerelease of Morbius shows how hard it is for companies to cash in on ironic fandom.
