Season 1 of Netflix's new mockumentary-style series Hard Cell is not performing well with critics at all, earning the show the worst possible critic score on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes.
The show, which was created by and stars comedian Catherine Tate, stands at a critical score of zero percent on Rotten Tomatoes, as of writing, with multiple reviews pointing to Hard Cell's characters, humor and mockumentary format as its weakest aspects. The series is performing better with general audiences, however, with a current score of 79 percent.
A British comedy series, Hard Cell follows a fictional documentary crew as they explore the lives of the inmates and staff at HMP Woldsley, a women's prison in Essex. Tate is joined by Donna Preston (The Hitman's Bodyguard), Lorna Brown (Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle), Peter Singh (Hampstead) and Lisa Davina Phillip (Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey).
While Hard Cell isn't receiving positive feedback from critics, Netflix has had several critical successes recently. Notably, the streaming service has had multiple movies in contention for the Best Picture Oscar over the past several years, including Roma at the 91st Academy Awards and The Trial of the Chicago 7 at the 93rd Academy Awards. At this year's Oscars, Netflix had two films in the running -- Don't Look Up and The Power of the Dog -- but they ultimately lost out to CODA.
Moreover, new seasons of critical darlings and fan favorites are coming to Netflix. The fourth and final season of Stranger Things is scheduled to premiere its first part on May 27 and its second half on July 1. Anticipation for the series' return is high and many fans have been scouring the wealth of promotional materials to create theories about what the story has in store. Netflix has also announced the second season of Squid Game. According to director Hwang Dong-hyuk, there may be surprising returns from Season 1.
Netflix is also set to adapt the well-received and award-winning graphic novel Nimona. Written by ND Stevenson, the story follows the titular character, who is recruited to be the sidekick of the villainous Ballister Blackheart. The streaming service acquired the rights to the LGBTQ+ story after an adaptation was shelved by Disney. Netflix's adaptation is scheduled to make its debut in 2023.
The first six episodes of Hard Cell are available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
