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There was a time when a run of terrible reviews would guarantee a new comedy vanished without a trace in record time. Now, in the era of streaming, as long as people don’t have to pay more to watch, then they will click on anything regardless of what others think of it. That is certainly the case with Will Ferrell’s new series, The Hawk.
Ferrell has had a career of highs and lows when it comes to his ability to please critics and audiences. From his universally loved Christmas turns in Elf and Apple TV’s Spirited, to his lesser renowned work on movies like Holmes & Watson, Ferrell has often delivered comedy that really strikes an off-key note with audiences rather than a ringing chord. The Hawk, his new 10-episode golf comedy, is in the latter category of work by the veteran star as far as critics are concerned. However, the series debuted at the top of the Netflix chart in the U.S., and was received a little better by the many who tuned in to watch.
In The Hawk, Ferrell plays Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins, a washed-up former world No. 1 golfer who, in the time-old tradition, believes he has a shot at the greatest sporting comeback in history. This leads him to chare the single major title that would complete a career Grand Slam. Developed with Harper Steele and Chris Henchy, Ferrell is making his first appearance in a series he created with The Hawk, but whether it will do enough to become a runaway hit is yet to be seen.
The reviews have been rough. The Hawk is sitting on 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the lowest critical scores of Ferrell’s entire career, with plenty of criticisms about the “been-there-done-that” feel of the story and the overall lack of humor – pretty much a fatal error in a comedy. On the audience side though, the series has not fared as badly as it could have. At the time of writing it is clinging onto its fresh rating with 65%. So it seems that those who put the series at the top of the Netflix chart have found enough to keep them entertained even if none of them seem blown away by it.
Netflix Has Turned “Watch Anything” Into a Business Model
Whatever the critics think, topping the Netflix chart is the outcome that matters to Ted Sarandos and his team. Anything that spends several weeks in the No.1 spot on the platform for any length of time is deemed a success regardless of what either critics or audiences feel about it. The Hawk is only the latest title to pull off this strangely counterproductive trick of claiming Netflix glory while sinking in critical appreciation.
The same pattern has been seen with many movie and TV show releases in recent years, including dozens of WattPad-originating novels with huge online followings. However, last year, Netflix has been responsible for several such titles themselves. Happy Gilmore 2, Adam Sandler’s long-delayed golf sequel, shrugged off the kind of reviews many of his Netflix movies have received to be one of the biggest hits on the platform in 2025.
The pattern points to something specific about how streaming works now. When a film or series is bundled into a subscription a viewer is already paying for, the barrier to hitting is removed. While the idea of splashing out on cinema tickets for a movie that disappoints is something people actively avoid, clicking into Netflix and watching for “free” makes it a lot easier not to care if you like what you watch or not. Netflix has been leaning into quantity over quality for several years, and over only recently started to think about curbing their spending on certain titles.
The Hawk may not be winning any awards, but by the only metric Netflix really cares about, Ferrell has holed out from the fairway.
(featured image: Netflix)
