Now on Prime Video: Divisive Denzel Washington Thriller Critics Hated But Fans Call “Exquisite”
Partway through his screen career, Denzel Washington has appeared in more critically acclaimed films than most actors do over the course of their entire lives. That said, not every effort will land. One such example is John Q. The film surely resonated with moviegoers, but it absolutely did not impress critics.
In the film:
The story centers on a man whose nine-year-old son is in desperate need of a life-saving transplant. When he discovers that his medical insurance won’t cover the costs of the surgery and alternative government aid is unavailable, John Q. Archibald (Washington) takes a hospital emergency room hostage in a last-ditch attempt to save his child.
In case you’re wondering how deep the divide goes, the Rotten Tomatoes PopcornMeter (formerly called the audience score) is an impressive 78%, as compared to the film’s abysmal 26% critical approval rating.
Perhaps the divide exists because the film isn’t all good or all bad. According to one Redditor, the flick has some issues, but Denzel Washington’s performance is surely not one of them.
They wrote:
“But this is prime Denzel, rising above the material and crushing it in several ways. It’s easy to point to his goodbye speech to his son, and you should: it’s exquisite, flawless acting in a long take. No one cries quite like Denzel. But there’s so much more that’s good: Denzel doing the bills before his son gets sick and arguing with his wife, his interactions with his coworkers, his kindness to the patients in the hospital.”
The same user also points out some of the film’s flaws, but ultimately champions Washington’s performance as unforgettable.
Where do you stand on this divisive effort? Do you concur with the majority of film scholars that John Q is a complete disaster? Or do you see merit in this oft-maligned effort? If you’re not sure where you stand and want to make an assessment, you can currently scope the flick on Prime Video.
There you have it, John Q is now available to stream on Prime Video. Seeing as fans and critics can’t seem to agree on the film’s merits (or lack thereof), now might be the perfect time to scope the picture and decide for yourself.
Stay tuned to the site for more exciting updates from the streaming scene as we uncover them. In the meantime, if you’d like more of my nonsense in your periphery, feel free to hit me up on Threads @FunWithHorror.
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