Jenna Ortega & Natalie Portman’s New Dark Comedy Thriller Debuts With Middling Rotten Tomatoes Score

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A new heist movie starring two popular actors isn’t receiving the positive reviews they expected, based on its initial scores on Rotten Tomatoes after its premiere.

Cathy Yan’s new film, The Gallerist, features Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega. Portman plays an art gallery owner facing financial trouble who comes up with a risky scheme: selling a body as art at the Art Basel Miami show. The film also stars Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Daniel Brühl, Charli XCX, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The Gallerist had its premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on Saturday.

I’ve been following the reception of The Gallerist, and it’s unfortunately landed with a 56% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews. That means it’s considered “rotten” – it just missed being “fresh” by a little! One review from ScreenRant really hit the nail on the head, saying the movie is a pretty weak satire with characters that don’t feel very real. The reviewer there gave it a 4 out of 10, which is a shame.

Some reviewers felt the movie didn’t fully deliver on its intended message, though they weren’t entirely negative. Cole Growth from FandomWire pointed out that the film tries to criticize the superficial art scene, but lacks the substance to do so effectively. Nick Schager of The Daily Beast described it as predictable and lacking complexity.

As a movie fan, I’m hearing The Gallerist is still trying to find a way to get into theaters, hoping a wider release might improve its chances. But honestly, the early reviews aren’t looking great, and that usually signals how most people will react. It’s a pretty specialized story, so the filmmakers are really counting on the actors’ popularity to bring in viewers, though even a well-known cast can’t always save a film.

Jenna Ortega is well-known for her roles in the popular series Wednesday and the Scream movies. She’s also been in other notable projects, including the recent Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the horror film Death of a Unicorn, which is gaining popularity on streaming services. Plus, the movie adaptation of her science fiction book, Klara and the Sun, is scheduled to come out in 2026.

Natalie Portman is famous for her roles in films like Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jackie, V for Vendetta, May December, and her Oscar-winning performance in Black Swan. She also produces and stars in Arco, an animated film that recently received an Oscar nomination and is getting a broader release. While The Gallerist hasn’t been successful, Portman and Ortega both have promising projects potentially coming out in 2026.

The Sundance Film Festival will be held from January 22nd to February 1st, 2026, and will feature premieres of new films, including The Gallerist.

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2026-01-27 20:38