Amazon Prime's new no.1 is Rotten Tomatoes' worst sci-fi movie of 2024

Now that I've finished my late-coming watch of Silo S2 on Apple TV+ and Severance is on a weekly schedule only, I've recently been exploring the best streaming services on a wider basis. So when I logged into Amazon Prime Video to watch a Liam Neeson movie that I didn't realise existed prior to last week, I was surprised by the streamer's no.1 movie.

Sure, Borderlands is a sci-fi, but it's also the worst-rated Rotten Tomatoes movie of 2024, with a meagre 10% positive rating – yikes! That takes some doing, as even in the midst of last year I recall when Madame Webb came to Netflix and the internet lost its mind – because that movie is rated just 12% on the aggregator site.

Borderlands (2024) Official Trailer - Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black - YouTube

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Given the success of videogame adaptations as movies in 2024, it was clear that everyone expected Borderlands to be a shoo-in. With Eli Roth at the helm as director, plus a big-name Hollywood cast, it had all the ingredients of a sure-fire success. But it massively mis-fired – as it was horribly mis-cast and didn't feel true to the game.

I can see why people were left scratching their heads: Cate Blanchett takes the lead role, as Lilith, but frankly is old enough to play her would-be mother. That's nothing against Cate, who is clearly brilliant, that's entirely against her mis-casting in the role – and her talent being wasted here. Same applies to Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Dr. Patricia Tannis.

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Borderlands was never going to have the nuanced acting of The Last of Us, but it doesn't even succeed comedically where the likes of Fallout was such a winner. Time Magazine sums it up succinctly: "Right as Hollywood has started to learn how to successfully adapt games for the screen, Borderlands arrives as a reminder of how not to do it."

However, it's always worth noting that scathing critics' reviews don't always reflect that of viewers. Indeed, with Rotten Tomatoes' viewer rating at 49%, not everyone hated it. And given that Amazon Prime Video viewers are flocking to watch, there's clearly huge interest around the movie – which is only topped by the service's no.1 show, Reacher, which nobody ever doubted would take the true top slot.