Adam Sandler’s politically incorrect western parody The Ridiculous 6 has been soundly rejected by mainstream film critics, but that hasn’t stopped the slapstick comedy from breaking records by becoming the most-watched movie premiere in Netflix’s history.
Entertainment Weekly reports Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos spoke to reporters about the health of his company alongside CEO Reed Hastings on Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
In addition to announcing unprecedented growth for the company, Sarandos divulged that Sandler’s first Netflix original film has racked up more views since its December release than any other other film in its opening period on the site, and that includes openings for both original programming and licensed blockbuster hits like The Hunger Games. As Entertainment Weekly notes, “Netflix defines a movie opening as the first 30 days of release.”
“In the first 30 days on Netflix, [Ridiculous 6 has] been the most-watched movie in the history of Netflix,” Sandros said. “It’s also enjoyed a spot at #1 in every territory we operate in, and in many of them it’s still #1.”
In 2014, Sandler signed a deal for four original movies with Netflix. The Ridiculous 6 is the first of those films.
The film sparked controversy in April of 2014, after roughly a dozen Native American actors walked off the set citing concerns that the movie was sexist and disrespectful to the Navajo and Apache tribes.
One Native American actor described Sandler’s role in the film as an Apache hero as an “insult.”
The company defended the film.
“The movie has ridiculous in the title for a reason: because it is ridiculous,” a spokesperson for Netflix said in a statement. “It is a broad satire of Western movies and the stereotypes they popularized, featuring a diverse cast that is not only part of — but in on — the joke.”
The film was panned so completely by critics that it currently has a zero percent rating on the film review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.
Watch a trailer for the film below:
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