Despite the fact that «Acolyte» became the biggest Disney+ launch in 2024 (with 4.8 million views per day), viewers did not like Leslie Gedland’s creation very much — at least, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Currently, critics gave the series an 83% rating, while viewers underestimated the «freshness» rating to a disastrous 14%, which has led some to speculate about intentional review bombing
And some of the reviews themselves admitted to review bombing:
In an interview with Collider Leslie Gedland said that such a reaction of the audience was quite expected for her:
«Oh, everyone knows what review bombing is. I was warned by a PR person and it’s quite expected. I understand the point — the average viewer will go to the site and say: oh, the user rating is very low. But this can only affect newcomers, not real Star Wars fans».
«Acolyte» tells the story of the events that took place at the end of the Republic’s heyday, about 100 years before the events of «Star Wars. Episode I: The Hidden Threat» (1999). In «, a former Padawan is reunited with her Jedi master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they face are more sinister than they could have ever expected.
The film stars Amandla Stenberg (who plays two characters) and Lee Jong-jae (says he learned English specifically for the role). Also among the cast are Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, Daphne Keane, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman and Carrie-Anne Moss.
The series is currently streaming on Disney+ — new episodes will be released every Tuesday (until July 16 inclusive).