The relationship between movie critics and Hollywood star Adam Sandler has been a tumultuous one, to say the least. After wowing the audience in the '90s with knee-slapping comedies like 'The Wedding Singer' and 'Happy Gilmore', Sandler's output in the 2000s and 2010s was torn apart by the critics.
With flicks like 'Click'(2006), Jack and Jill (2011) and his Grownups movies (2010 and 2013), he deservedly became a mainstay at the 'Razzies', an annual award show to honour the worst Hollywood has to offer that year. Audiences and critics recoiled at his laziness and disinterest for filmmaking with his projects 'Just go with it' and 'Blended' seemed less like cinema and more like excuses to go on vacation with his Hollywood buddies and throw together something from the recorded footage and call it a film.
Netflix controversy
Like most big names of Hollywood, Sandler's production company, 'Happy Madison' struck a massive deal with Netflix for $250 Million to produce four films back in 2014.
2015's 'The Ridiculous Six' courted major controversy with apparently native-American cast members storming out of the set over the tone-deaf and offensive portrayal of their culture. One of the other films on the streaming site, 'The Do-Over' co-starring David Spade was lambasted by the critics for being beneath the standards of Netflix.
A few bright spots
The Paul Thomas Anderson directed, 'Punch-Drunk Love'(2002), received praise for his subdued performance and is largely considered his best till date. His animation films, the 'Hotel Transylvania' series has garnered positive reviews and is his only saving grace as far as reviews are concerned.
2017's 'The Meyerowitz Stories', where he co-starred along Dustin Hoffman and Ben Stiller is considered the movie where it seems he started to take his career seriously as it was a return to form for the actor.
An indie comeback
Costing $20 million to make, the Safdie brothers directed 'Uncut Gems' can be considered an indie flick despite its on-screen talent and budget as the directors' knack of making small-scale movies feel large is ever-present.
Sandler is making the rounds, promoting his new film that is already getting Oscar buzz. In the film, Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a Jewish-American Diamond district jeweller with a gambling problem. The film is to be released worldwide on Netflix on 20th January 2020.
