It’s not uncommon these days for fans and critics to not see eye to eye on certain projects, with The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Five Nights at Freddy’s being some major examples of the year. And the new Netflix drama starring Marvel Star Mark Ruffalo has just added to the tussle between the general audience and the critics, as the show is currently sitting on a mere 23% at the Tomatometer.
While the show, adapted from Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, which won the coveted Pulitzer Prize for fiction, failed to rank high among critics, it has been scoring fairly well among fans.
All the Light We Cannot See Adds to the Tussle Between Fans and Critics
Despite being critically panned upon its release, the Mark Ruffalo-led All the Light We Cannot See is currently rated at an impressive 7.8 on IMDb. But while fans unversed with the book seem to be having a great time, critics expressed that the show fails on every level, as it disregards the nuances and aspects that made the best-selling novel stand out. While Doerr’s work deals with an introspective, morally complex story, per critics, many of such qualities are lost in the transition into live-action, and Mark Ruffalo’s inadequate European accent doesn’t help.
But amidst backlash from critics, its impressive production value accompanied by great cinematography seems to have overcome its subpar storytelling and questionable dialogues for many.
Mark Ruffalo Was Conflicted About Leaving His Family for the Netflix Show
Mark Ruffalo was initially conflicted about joining All the Light We Cannot see, as he wanted to be with his family. But following the Marvel Star’s history with filmmaker Shawn Levy, with whom he joined forces for The Adam Project, he eventually accepted Levy’s offer to star in the adaptation of Doerr’s acclaimed work. Per Radio TImes, He said,
“It was great to reunite with Shawn. We had such a good time on The Adam Project. I was reticent about going back to Hungary. I had just shot there and I wanted to be home with my family, but he said to me, ‘I want to do something beautiful with this story and I want to do it with you.’ And that meant a lot to me.”
While the disappointing reception wasn’t something Ruffalo would’ve hoped for, he admired Levy’s effort to get the Hulk actor into the series, stating “He moved heaven and earth to get me”.
All the Light We Cannot See is available to stream on Netflix.
