One of the year’s most talked-about movies is coming to Netflix this month

Madame Web is incoming

Madame Web
(Image credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Every so often a movie comes along and unites viewers in the knowledge that they're watching something truly memorable.

Well, that might be true, but it doesn't mean it's only ever managed by good movies – as proven this year by Madame Web. It's got a delightful 12% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Ouch!

The latest addition to the ever-confusing Sony version of the Spider-Man universe, Madame Web brings the titular character from comic page to the screen, played by Dakota Johnson, but that's not what made it special.

The real key is that Madame Web is the latest addition to a limited pantheon of films that are so weird and, frankly, bad that they're an absolute bucket of fun to watch – and it's about to arrive on Netflix in the US, streaming from 14 May. 

The movie didn't exactly stick around in theaters too often, but it's absolutely ripe for home viewing where you're not paying any extra to see it – proving that sometimes the best streaming service can be the one with the worst movie.

Indeed, Madame Web is every bit as baffling as you might have heard, full of absolutely bizarre editing choices and incredibly mediocre performances from actors we know are capable of excellence, from Johnson herself to Sydney Sweeney. 

It also features the line delivery that launched a thousand memes, with Johnson's utterly deadpan speech: "He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders just before she died". 

That's just one of a litany of moments that you really have to see to believe, and while we're not used to telling people to go find bad movies on streaming services, we honestly can't think of many better evenings that you could have on Netflix this month. 

Also, for a movie that met with such terrible reviews, there's something to be said for the fact that it at least has a look of its own, compared to the more identikit visual flavour that some Marvel movies have exhibited in recent years – it would actually look pretty amazing on a great TV like the Samsung S95D

So, get yourself some popcorn, grab a drink and sit down in front of the biggest TV you can find, stick Madame Web on with some friends, and we challenge you to have a truly bad time...

Max Freeman-Mills

Max is a freelance writer with years of experience in tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor. He has tested all manner of tech too, from headphones and speakers to apps and software.