Prime Video’s new thriller seriesThe Assassindebuted to an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score among critics, but it’s proving extremely divisive among viewers.The Assassinstars Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard) and Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor) as a retired assassin and her estranged son. It’s one of thebest thriller on Prime Video, and nowThe Assassinhas a Rotten Tomatoes score to prove it.
The Assassin’sRotten Tomatoesscore currently stands at 90% among 10 critics.The Assassinhas only been released in the United Kingdom, but British and Australian critics mostly agree that it’s a well-made thriller with engrossing performances from both Hawes and Highmore. While many critics noted that the show has some implausible twists and changes in tone, they mostly agree that it works.
The Assassin’s audience score is a different story, though. At the time of writing,The Assassinseason 1 has just 28% among about 50 viewers on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience members who have reviewed the show so far almost entirely disagree with critics. Viewers have noted that the changes in tone are jarring, the acting is flat, and that they were expecting a more straightforward, James Bond-esque spy thriller.
What The Assassin’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Disparity Means For The Prime Video Show
It’s Still Early, But The Assassin’s Experimental Blending Of Thriller & Comedy Elements May Not Work For Viewers
The most important thing to note aboutThe Assassin’s audience score is that it’s still very early in the game.The Assassinseason 1 premiered on July 25, and it only has about 50 reviews so far.These early audience reviews are coming from people who finished the show in a matter of hours or days, and as more casual viewers continue through the show, its score is likely to rise.
That being said, such a low audience score at any point is a bad sign forThe Assassin. Even though critics clearly enjoy it, many viewers take Rotten Tomatoes' audience score more seriously.This may be enough to turn new viewers away fromThe Assassin, and it may be a sign that the show’s blend of thriller and comedic elements just doesn’t work for non-critics.
It’s also not clear whatThe Assassin’s Rotten Tomatoes scores means for its potential release in the United States.The Assassindoesn’t currently have any public plans to reach American audiences, but Prime Video may not be confident it will do well based on these scores. A high score with critics doesn’t mean much if Prime Video’s British and Irish customers don’t enjoy the show.
The Assassin may just need to cross the pond to find the right audience.
There is also the possibility thatThe Assassinwill resonate more with American audiences than it did with European viewers. It’s not unheard of;Nautilus, for example, did very poorly in Britain and Ireland, yet it’s now a massive streaming hit for AMC in the United States.The Assassinmay just need to cross the pond to find the right audience.
Our Take On The Assassin’s Early Rotten Tomatoes Scores
The Assassin Clearly Has Something To Offer, Even If Early Audiences Didn’t Love It
Based on the reviews from both critics and viewers,I think it’s clear thatThe Assassinhas something to offer, even if it isn’t for everyone. There have been plenty of times whencritics got shows completely wrong, but I don’t think that’s the case here. I thinkThe Assassinis suffering from a simple case of a title and marketing campaign that didn’t do it justice.
The Assassinprobably isn’t one of the best thriller shows in the world, and it’s certainly not a replacement for James Bond. However, its blend of humor, engaging family dynamics, and two renowned stars in roles they can sink their teeth into should appeal to some viewers.The Assassinmay not be a smash hit, but I don’t think it will fade into complete obscurity, either.
