Jerry Seinfeld seemed to be everywhere in the days leading up to the release of his new Netflix
Netflix
movie Unfrosted, the story of the invention of the Pop-Tart, which the comedian also directed. He was on podcasts, daytime talk shows, and even appeared on Saturday Night Live (SNL) to spoof his publicity blitz.
But the ubiquity appeared to pay off. The premiere of Unfrosted over the weekend became the No. 4 bow for an original movie on Netflix this year, outpacing other high-profile films such as Lindsay Lohan’s Irish Wish, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver and Players.
Unfrosted averaged 1.053 million households during the live-plus-two-day window following Friday’s release, according to Samba TV, a provider of TV technology for audience data and omniscreen measurement.
How Unfrosted Viewership Compares To Other Netflix Releases
That was well behind the No. 1 debut of the year on the streamer, Lift. That film stars Kevin Hart as a master thief who helps a crew pull off a high-stakes heist on a plane. It drew 1.719 households in its first weekend.
The year’s No. 2 Netflix debut, Damsel, had 1.429 million in its bow. The Millie Bobby Brown movie follows a young woman readying to wed a prince only to find that she’s been enlisted as a sacrifice to a dragon.
Unfrosted came close to matching the year’s No. 3 film on Netflix, Mea Culpa, which posted 1.098 million households in its debut. The suspense thriller stars Kelly Rowland as a lawyer involved in a case that heats up when she finds herself attracted to her client—who may be a murderer.
After Irish Wish, which attracted 1.016 million households in its premiere, the rest of Netflix’s high-profile premieres this year have all drawn under 1 million households. That includes Rebel Moon with 967,034, Lover, Stalker Killer with 727,507 and Society of the Snow with 697,138.
Other top Netflix debuts this year include Spaceman and Players, the much-hyped Gina Rodriguez-Damon Wayans Jr. rom-com.
Among non-originals, Netflix’s recent debut of the box office hit Anyone But You with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell posted a solid 1.6 million over a live-plus-five-day window—slightly longer than the time measured for the originals.
Unfrosted Reviews: Critics And Audiences Aren’t Impressed
Netflix movies often gather steam with buzz and can become hits months after their release when they gain online momentum. But Unfrosted may not benefit from positive reaction.
While critical response isn’t everything, it received universally reserved reviews, ranging from outright pans to yawns. Audiences weren’t any more impressed—the film has just a 40% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film marks Seinfeld’s directorial debut and his first appearance in a major film since 2007’s Bee Movie, where he provided a voice for the main character.
Seinfeld made headlines on his press blitz for saying comedy had been killed by “the extreme left and P.C. crap.” A number of high-profile names pushed back against his assessment.
