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Only one month following its theatrical release in February, “Madame Web” is now available to rent/purchase digitally online. The Blu-ray/DVD versions will become available on Apr. 30
“Madame Web” is set in Sony’s Spider-Man universe and stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic who gains the ability to see the future after a near-death experience. Her newfound power brings her in contact with three young girls (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced and Celeste O’Connor) who are being hunted by an evil explorer.
The Sony film is one of the biggest flops in comic book movie history. The Johnson-led tentpole has only grossed around $42 million so far at the domestic box office, and its worldwide gross remains under the $100 million mark after more than a month of release. Critics also eviscerated the film (it scored a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 225 reviews).
“The script is confusing, the action stale and the visual effects cheap,” Variety film critic Peter DeBruge wrote in his review. “A recurring device that places Cassie at the center of what looks like a giant plasma ball, surrounded by static tendrils, is downright embarrassing.”
That being said, there is likely a significant amount of people who weren’t eager to catch Sony’s latest “Spider-Man” installment in theaters but are curious enough to rent/purchase the film online (Or, if they can wait even longer, to stream the film in April). Despite the low ratings, it did generate a good amount of online chatter, partly due to Johnson’s supposed disappointment with the film.
Talking about the poor reception it received upon its release, Johnson told Bustle that she “Unfortunately [was] not surprised that this has gone down the way it has. “
“Audiences will always be able to sniff out bullshit, she said. “Even if films start to be made with AI, humans aren’t going to fucking want to see those.”
Rent/purchase “Madame Web” on Prime Video and Apple TV+ today.