At the start of May, Netflix released a new, star-studded rom-com called Mother of the Bride, and though its disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score does not mean much for the streaming service, it hints at a much bigger trend for one of the movie’s actors, Chad Michael Murray. Mother of the Bride follows Brooke Shields as a woman who attends her daughter’s surprise wedding, only to find that the father of the groom is the man that broke her heart many years ago. Mother of the Bride’s cast includes Shields, Murray, Miranda Cosgrove, and Benjamin Bratt.

Although Mother of the Bride is Chad Michael Murray’s newest movie, he earned his fame years ago. In particular, Murray made a name for himself during the early 2000s when he played starring and supporting roles in pivotal young adult drama series such as One Tree Hill, Gilmore Girls, and Dawson’s Creek. Due to his participation in this one particular genre, Murray has long been known as a heartthrob, easily recognizable for his work as a charming and attractive teenager. However, Mother of the Bride is proof that that reputation cannot always bolster him, especially on the big screen.

Mother Of The Bride’s “Rotten” Score Continues A Disappointing Chad Michael Murray Movie Trend

Almost every Murray movie is “rotten”

Upon its release, Netflix’s Mother of the Bride earned a 17% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 25% audience score. Clearly, this is not a good score at all. But what is worse is the trend that this movie’s performance confirms for actor Chad Michael Murray. Since he began appearing in movies in 2001, Murray has only had a small handful of movies that were well-received. The majority are considered “rotten” by the site.

Overall, and according to Rotten Tomatoes, Chad Michael Murray has been in 36 movies since 2001. Nine of those movies have a critics’ or audience score that rests about a 50%. Only three of those movies have critics’ score that is above a 50%, and of those, only two are Certified Fresh. Meanwhile, the rest of Murray’s films have some of the worst scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Three of his movies hold 0% critics’ scores, while others have 10%, 13%, and 20%. But worst of all, a good number of his movies have no rating at all.

Mother Of The Bride Confirms That Chad Michael Murray’s Movies Can’t Compete With His TV Shows

Murray has been unlucky with movies

The recent poor performance of Mother of the Bride, paired with Chad Michael Murray’s unfortunate Rotten Tomatoes trend, says something else about the actor. In general, his movies simply cannot compete with his television series. TV is where Murray got his start, and he has been vastly more successful on the small screen than the big one. Of the 18 series listed on his Rotten Tomatoes, only one has a “rotten” critics’ score. And though many are unrated by critics, like One Tree Hill and Gilmore Girls, their fan followings prove how important they are to pop culture and Murray.

This distinct difference between his movie Rotten Tomatoes scores and his television ones are very telling of Murray. One might look at his movie scores and assume he isn’t a very good actor, however that’s far from the case. His television scores prove that he brings a certain acting magic to the table. What really seems to be at the root of Murray’s disappointing scores is being at the right place at the right time. It seems that Murray has simply been thrown into the wrong projects over the years. But luckily, his previous good timing has cemented his reputation.

Chad Michael Murray’s Rotten Tomatoes Movie Streak Could Be Redeemed By 1 Likely Sequel Return

Freaky Friday 2 is happening

Although Chad Michael Murray has spent several years with a very bad Rotten Tomatoes resume, he could redeem himself soon enough. One of Murray’s most lauded movies, 2003’s Freaky Friday, is returning with a sequel. Freaky Friday 2 was confirmed about a year ago, in May 2023, and though only Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are publicly casted at the moment, that does mean Murray is out of the running. If anything, his chances are higher. If the original stars are returning, then it seems likely the entire cast will be invited back.

Because Freaky Friday was positively received by critics and very popular among critics, there is a strong chance Freaky Friday 2 can garner the same success. And if it does, then Chad Michael Murray may have another Ceritifed Fresh movie to add to his Rotten Tomatoes. This certainly would not fix his unfortunate trend, but it would be a sweet note on his resume that he did not have before. Hopefully, Mother of the Bride’s disappointing score can be forgotten soon.