Netflix’s Black Cleopatra has the worst audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes ever.

Controversy Surrounds Netflix’s “Queen Cleopatra” Documentary

In 1963, Elizabeth Taylor played Cleopatra in a star-studded blockbuster with a $31 million budget. Fast forward 60 years and Netflix’s new documentary “Queen Cleopatra” is causing controversy and “blackwashing” claims after casting black actress Adele James in the lead role. While historical records show that Cleopatra was Macedonian-Greek, the creator of the series, Tina Gharvi, defends the casting choice, stating “Why shouldn’t Cleopatra be a melanated sister?”

Dismal Ratings

Despite the controversy, it’s the documentary’s dismal ratings that are making headlines. Currently, it has a 2% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest in history. The “average Tomatometer” stands at 10%, which is still lower than the worst film on the site, Ballistic: Ecks Vs Sever, which has a 0% rating but a 20% favorable audience score.

Viewer Reviews

Many viewers have criticized the documentary’s lack of historical accuracy and accused it of being a “race baiting” show. One reviewer wrote, “It’s not a documentary depicting the life of Cleopatra. It’s a race baiting Netflix show that tells its audience that if you can’t get on board with this retelling of how we see the history of Queen Cleopatra, then you’re racist.” Another suggested that Queen Hatshepsut or Queen Nefertiti would have been better choices for a black female empowerment narrative.

The Author’s Take

The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire. Joseph Curl, who has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper, suggests that the documentary is another attempt to go woke but ending up going broke.