Kevin Hart’s New Netflix Movie Continues A Disappointing 2020s Trend

Kevin Hart’s newest Netflix movie, Lift, is one of the top trending movies on the streaming service, despite its poor reviews, and this recent addition to Hart’s filmography looks to continue a disappointing trend for the actor-comedian. Directed by F. Gary Gray, the comedy stars Hart as a master thief named Cyrus, who partners up with his Interpol ex-girlfriend, Abby, to steal $500 million in gold bullion being transported on a massive A380 passenger flight. Among a string of criticisms, Lift‘s weak story and generic writing are some of the biggest issues with the heist movie.

Despite the overall negative reception of Lift, the poor reviews have done nothing to prevent it from being in the platform’s top ten trending movies. Lift‘s Netflix success can be attributed to the movie’s overall feel-good vibe and the fun performances of Lift‘s ensemble cast, particularly of lead star Hart. Lift‘s ending sets up a potential sequel, and F. Gary Gray has spoken positively about Lift 2, despite the movie’s less-than-stellar reviews. Strangely, this is not the first time a critically-panned Kevin Hart Netflix movie has enjoyed wide appeal.

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Lift Continues Kevin Hart’s Trend Of Popular Netflix Movies (Despite Bad Reviews)

Me Time and The Man From Toronto have also garnered popularity, despite receiving bad reviews

Lift follows a trend seen with Kevin Hart’s previous Netflix movies, Me Time and The Man from Toronto. Both comedies remained in Netflix’s top ten trending movies for extended periods of time, despite receiving unimpressive critical reviews. Lift‘s Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score currently sits at 30%, while Me Time and The Man from Toronto clock in at 7% and 23%, respectively, making Lift look impressive by comparison.

The popularity of these critically beleaguered movies perhaps demonstrates that Hart’s star power alone is enough to make an otherwise unwatchable movie palatable for a quick viewing. Hart’s work doesn’t necessarily need to be challenging or thought-provoking, just marketable enough to draw audiences in. The developing pattern is very similar to the one that emerged when Adam Sandler began releasing a string of Netflix comedies in the 2010s.

Why Kevin Hart’s Netflix Movies Are So Popular

Hart’s star power and overall affability in interviews endears audiences to his projects

Hart’s star power and incredible work ethic are two strong factors one must consider when questioning why the actor’s movies rank among some of the most popular, despite being forgettable at best. While Hart has displayed his range in dramas like The Upside and Grudge Match – and even displays his action chops in Lift – Hart’s disposable comedies with ensemble casts remain his comfort zone. Additionally, Hart works at such a fast pace, often starring in as many as three or five movies a year, making it harder to scrutinize any single project earnestly.

On top of Hart’s incredible work ethic and popularity among general audiences, Hart has also proven time and again to be one of the industry’s most affable personalities, allowing him to promote his movies much better than others. Moreover, Hart makes movies that are designed to make people feel good, as they often follow basic narrative structures with fairly simple resolutions, as opposed to developing the kind of challenging character arcs one would expect from Cillian Murphy or Denzel Washington. Hart’s signature brand of humor blends seamlessly with the formulaic structure of Lift, thereby making it a success, despite its critical failures.