Blockbuster’s corpse has been firmly danced upon by both Netflix and critics, but it’s still not the worst reviewed original in the streaming service’s broad catalogue.
Taking the cake instead is the controversial series Insatiable, which got lambasted before it even had a chance to air. The series, starring Debby Ryan and Alyssa Milano, was called out for problematic and offensive stereotypes of nearly every minority group it could manage to fit in.
Insatiable followed a high school student who was bullied for being overweight adopting unhealthy eating habits to get thinner, before eventually ending up as a beauty pageant queen, all while learning zero lessons along the way. Particularly offensive was the depiction of Ryan as being overweight, its attempts at addressing fat-shaming, as well as the series clutching at decades-old stereotypes.
While Blockbuster sits at an insipid 18 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, its closest rival for the bottom spot Insatiable sits at 11 percent. Truly a tremendous effort in ostracizing audiences, but also proves Netflix’s hit rate with comedy is especially dreary. While Insatiable was described as a dark comedy, the darkest thing in the series is how little you’ll laugh.
Blockbuster also comes from a rich vein of workplace-based comedies, something which several studios have attempted to capture following the ending of the United States version of The Office. As many of them have learned, it’s really not as simple as throwing talented people together and getting a masterful result.
Insatiable is still available to stream from Netflix, in case you’re in need of torture. Similarly if you want very few laughs, Blockbuster has just hit the streaming service as well.