Summary

Bob Marley: One Love
garners a high audience score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, despite critics’ tepid 43% rating.
Some critics find the biopic to be dull and lacking in capturing Marley’s legacy, while audiences praise its faithfulness.
The divide between critics and audiences on
Bob Marley: One Love
may stem from differing expectations of Marley’s larger-than-life legacy.

The new Bob Marley biopic, Bob Marley: One Love, has achieved a stellar audience score on Rotten Tomatoes despite mixed reviews from critics. The movie sees Kingsley Ben-Adir in the titular role of the reggae legend, following the songwriter’s breakthrough onto the international stage and his passion for spreading a message of peace. In addition to Ben-Adir, the film tapped Lashana Lynch for the role of Rita, Marley’s wife. Meanwhile, it promised to be a faithful adaptation given the involvement of Rita and Marley’s children, Ziggy and Cedella.

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics gave Bob Marley: One Love mixed reviews, though audiences are loving it. The biopic’s critic score stands at a tepid 43% out of 141 reviews. However, the audience score is very “Fresh” at 94% based on more than 1,000 reviews. Some critics seemed to have wished for a splashier tribute to Marley, while audiences indicated it was the perfect biopic.

Why Are Audiences and Critics So Divided on Bob Marley: One Love?

Given that critic and audience scores differ, on average, by 5% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s quite surprising to see the enormous 51% divide on Bob Marley: One Love. It’s especially strange because the film is a biopic. Usually, the movies that divide audiences and critics the most are those that are ambiguous or particularly difficult to interpret. However, lately, audiences and critics seem to be growing further apart on inspirational, feel-good stories based on truth. After all, The Boys in the Boat recently showed a similar divide.

Critics’ complaints of Bob Marley: One Love even echoed some of the complaints from The Boys in the Boat, particularly about the movie feeling dull. Some critics found the biopic long and tedious and thought it didn’t fully capture Marley’s legacy, while others felt the story simply played it too safe, relying on conventional biopic formulas and tropes instead of digging a little deeper with its storytelling. Audiences acknowledged the movie couldn’t be expected to capture every detail of Marley’s life but praised the biopic as being accurate and the type of adaptation the singer would’ve been proud of.

Both critics and audiences may be right about Bob Marley: One Love. Marley is the kind of legend whose legacy will never quite fit in a limited runtime. Additionally, a simple retelling of someone’s life may be dull or interesting, depending on who’s watching. However, some critics may forget that Marley was extraordinarily humble and may have preferred a simple tribute that spreads peace and love over one that makes a splash. Bob Marley: One Love will look very different to viewers depending on whether they’re looking for the singer’s larger-than-life legacy or his humble spirit in the film.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Bob Marley: One Love Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, Bob Marley: One Love is a biographical music-drama that explores the life of Bob Marley, as portrayed by Kingsley Ben-Adir. The film highlights the ups and downs of Marley’s life and career until his untimely death in 1981.Release Date February 14, 2024 Director Reinaldo Marcus Green Cast Kingsley Ben-Adir Writers Zach Baylin , Frank E. Flowers , Terence Winter Studio(s) Tuff Gong Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures