All sorts of odd movies become huge on Netflix, ranging from forgotten classics to modern under-the-radar gems... but its new smash hit is neither of those. The Other Woman was lambasted by critics and audiences when it was released in 2014, but right now it's the second most-watched movie on Netflix UK.
This film, which probably won't make an appearance in our list of the best Netflix movies, sits at just 26% on Rotten Tomatoes (and a slightly higher, though still rotten, 57% audience score). It was added to the streamer's UK catalog on Thursday, August 15, and it's also on Disney Plus, but it's not streaming anywhere for US watchers right now and is only available via on demand.
The Other Woman stars Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton as three separate women who all discover that they're individually dating the same man, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. They slowly create a friendship as they enact a plot to get back at the man, and end up exposing him for some crimes.
Audience viewers on Rotten Tomatoes call The Other Woman "the worst movie I've ever seen" and "unwatchable", with critics echoing those sentiments in more polite terms. It wasn't nominated for any Oscars, but it did win Cameron Diaz a worst actress award at the Golden Raspberry Awards. So why is it the second most watched movie on Netflix?
That achievement by the movie is particularly impressive when you consider that it's beating recent Netflix Originals like The Murder of Air McNair, and big-name movies that have been dominating the streamer's most-watched movies list lately like Kingsmen: The Secret Service and U.S. Marshalls.
In fact, the only movie beating The Other Woman right now in Netflix UK's most-watched movies list is The Union, an action comedy Original from the streaming starring Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry.
While Netflix usually has a breakneck roster of new additions, including its own Netflix Originals and third-party movies, that's not been the case as much in the second half of August. The streamer hasn't had as many new movies joining its library, so perhaps Netflix subscribers are just watching whatever they can find.
But with quite a few thrillers on the Netflix top 10 movies list, perhaps The Other Woman is a nice antidote to the drama and tension, even if it's not the best movie ever made.
