After The Last Jedi and Captain Marvel, Rotten Tomatoes took efforts to ensure their website could no longer be used as a means of “review bombing” any movies or shows. Review bombing refers to a concerted effort to harm a film’s audience rating through mass negative reviews. While Rotten Tomatoes alleged that some movies were having this occur, critics said the website was caving to industry pressure to prevent poorly received blockbusters from receiving negative audience scores.
That is why the audience score for the Disney+ and National Geographic film about Dr. Anthony Fauci is so noteworthy. Despite the strict rules in place with Rotten Tomatoes to limit reviews to those who have actually seen a film or show, the documentary is in running for the lowest Audience Score ever recorded on Rotten Tomatoes in the many years the website has existed.
I just finished the Fauci documentary on Disney+ so you don't have to. Here is what was, for me, the defining image: Fauci at work in his home office, beneath a larger-than-lifesize oil painting portrait of himself. pic.twitter.com/hugD4EgLY8
— Matt, Pre-School Diploma (@statomattic) October 10, 2021
While one might think the score could be the result of political or philosophical differences some have with the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, that wouldn’t seem to account for a score this low. Rather, after closer inspection, it looks like audience members are taken aback by how the film is presented — many reviewers say the documentary comes across more like propaganda than inspective work. And whereas a “review bombed” film is usually countered by people of the opposite opinion “review boosting”, there just aren’t many people coming to this film’s defense.
“In the modern political zeitgeist it was simply poor timing. For those already nervous enough about pandemic measures and the like the film comes off more as a 1940’s propaganda film than a riveting documentary about the savior of humanity and how he loves people so much. Would not recommend. Not a good doc to begin with but then just becomes creepy when you think about it.” — Jacob B
“This was essentially a piece of propaganda that is contributing to the polarization of society. I would have loved to have heard balanced perspectives on both sides of the challenging issues that Fauci has faced in his career. Scientifically-interested and politically-moderate types will be very disappointed in this.” — Chris D
It is unlikely that Dr. Fauci has an approval rating as low as 2%. However, it is factual that the doctor is viewed negatively by some portion of the world, and that may be working in tandem with a documentary that just isn’t very good. How it received a 91% rating from critics is for you to decide, but suffice to say it’s yet another example of critics and the mainstream audience being far, far apart.
