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Blockbuster is the latest Netflix series to hit the streamer, and this time the platform has tried its hand at a workplace comedy. The twist? It's set in the US' last remaining branch of movie rental store Blockbuster, a company whose downfall was largely due to the rising popularity of online streamers like Netflix (a real version of this store exists in Oregon, but the show is set in a fictionalized branch in Michigan).
Fresh off the Boat and WandaVision's Randall Park plays the store's manager, Timmy Yoon, while the ensemble cast of employees includes Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Melissa Fumero and In the Heights' Olga Merediz. Vanessa Ramos is the show's creator, and she's previously written for workplace comedies Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. However, despite having plenty of sitcom veterans on board, the show has been getting mixed reviews, with critics saying the series is nostalgia bait that's lacking in laughs – although the cast is praised as its saving grace.
The AV Club
"Blockbuster truly struggles with the laughs, in that there are barely any. Yes, there are plenty of pop culture references—from namedropping Midsommar and La La Land to calling James Corden a bully and a menace—but none of it elicits as much as a chuckle. The humor is either cringe-worthy or forced, as are the situations that lead to it, including a prank gone wrong and a ridiculous solar storm that briefly turns off the internet. The jokes often feel as dated as the Blockbuster gimmick it’s trying to pull off."
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"If there is one thing holding the entire series together, it's the cast. Randall Park, as anyone who has seen the stellar romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe knows, can hit all the right comedic notes and does so here. As the show’s central character, Timmy, Park is able to catch us off-guard with some well-timed and delivered jokes, but even those increasingly become a rarity."
The Telegraph
"It’s a decent enough premise, if a smugly self-referential one. On paper, Blockbuster should work. It’s created by Vanessa Ramos, a writer for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the underrated Superstore. Leading man Park is an alumnus of Veep and The US Office, while Fumero found fame in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. JB Smoove, who plays Timmy’s best buddy, was a scene-stealer in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Blockbuster has potential to be a feelgood workplace comedy with a warm, nostalgic glow. Sadly, you can’t create alchemy via a Netflix algorithm. Its elements don’t add up and the result is frustratingly flimsy."
The Hollywood Reporter
"Without much idea of how to capitalize on its uniquely compelling premise, Blockbuster winds up a fairly standard-issue workplace sitcom dressed up in blue-and-yellow logos that might strike a chord with viewers of a certain age. It’s certainly agreeable enough for a Blockbuster night, as we ancient millennials used to call evenings spent watching stuff on the couch, but come morning it may well disappear into Netflix’s endless rows of content."
All 10 episodes of Blockbuster are now streaming on Netflix. For more viewing inspiration, fill out your watch list with our picks of the best Netflix comedies.
