American Primevalhas improved drastically on Rotten Tomatoes following a disappointing early score. Created by Mark L. Smith and directed by Peter Berg, the hit Netflix Western chronicles the lives of a handful of characters in the American West and the often violent ways in which they collide in a lawless frontier.American Primevalreviewshaven’t all been glowing from critics and the show, which stars Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, and Saura Lightfoot Leon, debuted to a lackluster 43% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes earlier this month from seven reviews.
Now, with more reviews having been added,American Primevalis sitting at a much more respectable 62% critics' scoreonRotten Tomatoesfrom 39 reviews. This new score means the show is no longer designated “Rotten” as it was initially, but this could still evolve as more reviews are added. The Netflix series now also has an audience score, and that’s far higher than the critics' score at 87%.
What American Primeval’s New Rotten Tomatoes Score Means For The Show
The Netflix Western Series Has Been A Viewership Hit
Smith is one of the writers responsible forThe Revenant(2015), meaning expectations were high heading intoAmerican Primeval. That film, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, won star Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar. Initial reviews suggested thatAmerican Primeval, despite its similarities to that movie, fell far short of it, offering up a story heavy on brutality and despair that never quite evolves beyond this one note. While the show’s criticisms are still very fair,more reviews being available has added nuance.
10 Movies & Shows To Watch If You Like American Primeval
Several other movies and shows capture similar Western and violent horror elements of Netflix’s epic period Western series American Primeval.
Critics' response aside, it’s clear thatAmerican Primevaland its charactersare resonating with audiences. The show has been a big viewership hit since its release on January 9, entering the Netflix top 10 for its first week and claiming second place.The show’s viewership success, now combined with a lukewarm but still positive critical reception, bodes well for a potentialAmerican Primevalseason 2, which has not yet been confirmed given the show’s release as a limited series.
Berg recently addressed the possibility of a season 2, suggesting that he’d be interested in picking up the story with the surviving characters after theAmerican Primevalending.
The Netflix Show Deserves To Continue
Image via Netflix
American Primevaldoesn’t feel like a show that should have carried a “Rotten” designation considering the strong performances and filmmaking craft on display, and the new score is probably still not quite high enough to accurately reflect how much I enjoyed it on a personal level.But this variation in opinion is ultimately part of what makes movies and TV shows interesting to discuss, and one person liking a title doesn’t make another person wrong for not liking it.
There’s been no word yet on confirmation of anAmerican Primevalseason 2, but the generally positive response from viewers is a promising sign that more could be coming. In a time whenYellowstoneand its spinoffs and prequels have been so popular,Netflix would do well to create a Western universe of its own, as there’s clearly an appetite for this kind of material.
American Primeval
Cast
American Primeval is a Netflix limited series that follows the lives of several men and women in the middle of the expansion of the American West. Social dynamics clash as men and women battle for a piece of the new world against rivals and each other.
