Chris Evans stars in the new Netflix movie Pain Hustlers, but it marks a bad Rotten Tomatoes streak, and the end unfortunately isn’t in sight.
Pain Hustlers is the latest big-budget streaming movie starring Chris Evans, but the film marks the actor’s worst Rotten Tomatoes streak in over a decade. Evans has become best known for playing Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring in 11 films as the character in some capacity, be it a cameo or starring role. As a result, he is one of the highest-grossing actors of the 2010s, with Evans also earning significant critical acclaim outside the MCU in hit movies like Knives Out and Snowpiercer. However, in the time since Chris Evans left Marvel, his movies have repeated a disappointing review streak that the actor hasn’t seen since before he originally took on the Captain America mantle.
Following Avengers: Endgame, which saw Steve Rogers pass down the shield, Evans has focused more on streaming-exclusive movies than theatrical blockbusters. Evans now leads the Pain Hustlers cast, a Netflix crime drama co-starring Emily Blunt and directed by the Harry Potter franchise’s David Yates. Unfortunately, the movie has been panned by critics, as it sits at a “rotten” 25% on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its debut on Netflix. What’s even worse is that it’s the lowest score Evans’ movies have received in nine years, and it continues a bad run for the actor, marking his worst cold streak since 2010.
Pain Hustlers’ Bad Reviews Give Chris Evans 3 Rotten Movies In A Row
Pain Hustlers marks the third “rotten” movie starring Chris Evans in a row. The actor hasn’t had that many consecutive “rotten” films since 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World ended his streak of six “rotten” movies. The first of the current streak is 2022’s The Gray Man, which holds a 45% score, and the second is 2023’s Ghosted, which has just 26% on the review aggregator site. All three of these movies have a lot in common; they’re all big-budget crime movies that were made for streaming services. As a result, the movies share an overly polished sheen and a digital veneer that suggest the scenes’ impact would have translated better on the big screen.
Along with the made-for-streaming look of the movies, critics have noted the disappointing qualities of the films’ screenplays. Additionally, while Pain Hustlers isn’t as action-oriented as the other two movies, they all feature over-the-top sequences that are criticized for being difficult to follow. Evans isn’t to blame for the failure or the negative critical reception of these movies, however, as he is one of the primary sources of praise for each film. The actor hamming it up as the theatrically maniacal villain in The Gray Man was among the Netflix film’s most redeeming qualities, and his chemistry with Ana de Armas in Ghosted was the source of the movie’s AppleTV+ movie’s humor.
Pain Hustlers Reiterates A Harsh Reality About Chris Evans’ Post-MCU Movies
Unfortunately, Chris Evans’ post-MCU career hasn’t been that strong, and it reiterates the harsh reality that he might need the MCU for Rotten Tomatoes success. Almost all of Evans’ post-Endgame movies have been critically panned, and the two exceptions have asterisks by them, too. The first of the two exceptions is Knives Out, and while he has an instrumental role in the film, he’s part of a much bigger ensemble cast. The second of the two is Lightyear, and though it has a “fresh” 74% Rotten Tomatoes score, that’s still low for a Pixar film, with Lightyear also notably bombed at the 2022 box office.
It doesn’t look like the next Evans-starring movie will end his cold streak either. Evans will star in the 2023 Christmas action movie Red One alongside Dwayne Johnson. Once again, the action flick has a huge budget and is being made for Prime Video. Based on Evans’ three most recent big-budget streaming movies, there isn’t much to suggest that Red One’s release will rescue his disappointing reviews streak. However, Evans and Johnson have never shared the screen together, and their charisma could make for great action-oriented chemistry. Though Pain Hustlers has been negatively received, Chris Evans could still save his bad year with Red One.
