Angelina Jolie’s “entirely soulless” flop becomes a Netflix hit

2002’s romantic comedy “Life or Something Like It,” featuring Angelina Jolie, has unexpectedly gained popularity on Netflix.

In this movie, Angelina Jolie portrays Lanie Kerrigan, a television journalist residing in Seattle who feels she has an ideal life. Following some harsh realizations about the shallowness of her lifestyle, Lanie embarks on a personal journey to explore herself more deeply.

Featuring Edward Burns and Tony Shalhoub, the movie titled “Life or Something Like It ” failed to impress at its initial box office run. The film was heavily criticized by critics as it managed to earn just $16.9 million, significantly less than its production budget of $40 million.

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Regardless of initial disappointments as a critical and financial flop, “Life or Something Like It” has experienced a resurgence thanks to its availability on Netflix. The movie is currently ranked #3 in their chart, having garnered more than 5.5 million views over the last week.

The accomplishment is all the more noteworthy because among the recent releases on the streaming platform within the last few weeks, both “The Life List” and “Meet the Khumalos” are original films, with “Meet the Khumalos” having only a slight edge in viewership with approximately 5.7 million views.

The film’s logline describes Lanie Kerrigan, who works as a feature reporter at a Seattle TV station, living a life that appears perfect with a famous boyfriend, a stunning apartment, and an opportunity to advance to a major network. However, beneath the surface, her life may not be as glamorous or fulfilling as it seems.

In my perspective as an avid admirer, the world of this remarkable character, Lanie, starts to crumble when a vagabond fortune teller on the street foretells her that her life holds no significance and she will meet her end in just a week. As the prophecies of the seer unfold, Lanie finds herself reevaluating her life and reassessing her priorities.

Apart from bombing commercially upon its premiere, the romantic comedy didn’t resonate with critics either. In fact, it only managed to secure a dismal 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 121 reviews.

Or more casually:

The romcom flopped both commercially and critically when it first came out, with a lowly 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 121 reviews to show for it.

The New York Post criticized the movie “Life or Something Like It” as being overly sentimental, superficial, and completely devoid of soul, likening it to a generic romantic comedy. Meanwhile, The Observer stated that the film was predictable, misguided, and as accurate a portrayal of life in television news (or something like it) as a Pillsbury bake-off contest -ouch indeed!

Life or Something Like It is streaming on Netflix.

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2025-04-23 20:19

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