Jennifer Lopez’s new Netflix sci-fi thriller, Atlas, is receiving bad reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
The official description of Atlas reads: “Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez), a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.”
Directed by Brad Peyton, known for Rampage and San Andreas, this Netflix original movie premiered on Friday. As of this writing, Atlas has a poor 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 critic reviews.
So far, fewer than 50 verified users have rated the film, giving it a 59% Audience Score. There is a possibility that the audience rating could improve as more Netflix subscribers watch it.
What Don’t Critics Like About Atlas?
In his review for Variety, Todd Gilchrist states, “A dearth of original ideas undercuts the appeal of Atlas, leaving Lopez to fend for herself in much the same way her character is forced to in the film’s formulaic story.” He also criticizes Lopez’s AI companion in the film, portrayed as an exo-suit.
Similarly, William Bibbiani criticizes Atlas in his review for The Wrap, writing, “Hidden somewhere beneath all the generic dialogue, embarrassing plot, mediocre action and oddly ineffective performances, there’s a good idea in Brad Peyton’s Atlas. It’s a shame the filmmakers never found it.”
Despite the overwhelmingly negative reviews, Atlas did receive a couple of positive critiques. Matt Donato of IGN mentions, “Atlas earns more than a shrug, even if it won’t settle relevant and alarming debates about artificial intelligence’s place in contemporary society.” He adds, “Atlas might not be the next groundbreaking sci-fi epic, but Brad Peyton’s humanity-vs.-AI saga earns points for entertaining us with a hot-button concept that sounds far worse than its execution.”
Atlas, also starring Sterling K. Brown and Simu Liu, is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
