With Megalopolis finally in theaters, audiences watched Francis Ford Coppola’s movie, but reactions were not great. The epic sci-fi film features Adam Driver as Cesar, who clashes with Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) on the politics of the city’s potential as a utopia. Coppola made his directorial return to creating his passion project, which meant selling his winery to fund Megalopolis‘ $120 million budget. Despite his ambitions for the project that had been in development for decades, the movie was met with mixed response from critics, leading to Coppola defending it ahead of its September release.
Now, audiences have been giving their verdict on Megalopolis, and the ratings have been mixed. Per Rotten Tomatoes, the Coppola movie currently holds an audience score of 40% with over 100 user ratings. This is slightly worse than the critical score, which sits at 49% from 190 reviewers.
Why Audiences & Critics Are Not Satisfied With Megalopolis
It’s A Confusing & Bland Movie.
Before Megalopolis‘ release, Coppola faced obstacles in securing a distributor before Lionsgate eventually got the domestic rights. The movie was considered bizarre and experimental, which made it a financial risk for studios. This response became more apparent when it premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where reviews for Megalopolis were very divided. In particular, the issues came down to the movie’s uneven tone, messy storyline, and lack of cohesion, while the visuals and cinematography have gotten praise. In addition, the movie’s genre has prompted confusion, as it goes overboard with many themes, such as revenge, romance, and sci-fi.
General audiences shared similar opinions, with many ripping the movie apart. In general, most called the Coppola film either too chaotic or boring, with many walking out midway through the movie. Most agreed the concept was ambitious but also very confusing with the many subplots and nonsensical storytelling. As a result, several Rotten Tomatoes users called it one of the worst movies of 2024. This pans out with a Cinemascore of D+, indicating that most audiences were not pleased with the movie.
Our Take On Megalopolis Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Ambition May Have Hurt Coppola’s Career.
While I respect Coppola for defending his movie and taking such a huge risk, it seems that ambition got the best of him. I was genuinely surprised at how confusing this movie was as it shifted from one arc to the next without providing much depth. It seemed more interesting in style than substance, which ultimately hurt the movie’s potential. Hence, I sensed that most audiences would not love this movie, but didn’t imagine this many viewers walking out.
Unfortunately, it sours his directorial return, especially when he provided all-time classics like Apocalypse Now and the Godfather series. At the same time, it raises questions about the risk of self-funding movies and the message it sends to other aspiring filmmakers, with Kevin Costner enduring similar losses with Horizon: An American Saga. With an abysmal $4 million opening weekend to add to the list of damage, Megalopolis will be a huge stain on Coppola’s incredible career and what could be his saddening curtain call.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
