Summary

The Back-up Plan
has had a resurgence on Netflix, ranking number 6 on the platform’s global top 10 movie list.
Initially poorly received, the rom-com was criticized for its formulaic plot and lackluster humor.
Despite negative reviews, Jennifer Lopez’s acting was praised in the movie.

Jennifer Lopez’s 2010 rom-com The Back-up Plan has recently received renewed interest on Netflix. Directed by Alan Poul and starring both Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin in lead roles, this movie follows Zoe, a woman who meets the man of her dreams shortly after deciding to become a mother through artificial insemination. Upon release, The Back-up Plan was met with dismal reviews, this, however, didn’t stop it from succeeding at the box office as it grossed $77.5 million against a reported budget of $35 million.

Now, almost 14 years since the release of The Back-up Plan, the feature has experienced a sudden resurgence on Netflix. For the week of March 11 – March 17, the romantic comedy ranked as the 6th most-watched movie on the popular streamer’s weekly Top 10 global lists, marking its first week on the list.

Why Was The Back-up Plan Poorly Received Upon Release?

Jennifer Lopez has managed to build an incredibly versatile and successful career. While she’s most famous for her work as a musician, she’s also an accomplished actor, taking on several roles in a wide variety of movies. Lopez’s acting career, however, hasn’t gone as well as her singing career, as critics haven’t always positively received most of the movies she’s appeared in, like The Back-up Plan.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The Back-up Plan has an abysmal rating of 17%, one of the lowest of Lopez’s career. Many critics accused the rom-com of being extremely formulaic and predictable, presenting only cookie-cutter scenarios and conflicts. Additionally, the movie’s humor was also an issue for some critics, who claimed it left a lot to be desired.

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While The Back-up Plan did receive mostly poor reviews, it wasn’t all negative as some critics identified Lopez’s acting performance as one of the few redeeming qualities of the movie. Regardless of the negative reviews, its resurgence on Netflix indicates that there is still an audience for movies of this kind as also seen with the recent success of movies like Jennifer Lawrence’s No Hard Feelings and Anyone But You.

The Back-up Plan
is available to stream on Netflix.

Source: Netflix

The Back-up Plan Director Alan Poul Release Date April 23, 2010 Runtime 106 minutes