A 12% Rotten Tomatoes film got a 'Mixed' from THR. Follow the ad money.

The Hollywood Reporter published its Madame Web review on February 12, 2024, two days before wide release. The review was based on a press screening hosted by Sony Pictures. THR's film section ran Sony display advertising throughout February 2024, including placements for Madame Web itself. These facts are observable. The review discloses none of them.

David Rooney's review delivers a 'Mixed' verdict — the trade publication equivalent of a non-answer. The film currently sits at 12% on Rotten Tomatoes. Twelve. Rooney describes Dakota Johnson's performance as having 'low-key naturalism,' a phrase that could mean anything and therefore means nothing. The review acknowledges an 'overstuffed plot' but treats structural incoherence as a minor quibble rather than a fundamental failure. This is strategic ambiguity. A negative review risks Sony pulling early screening access. A positive review risks credibility. 'Mixed' costs nothing.

THR is a trade publication. Its readership is the entertainment industry itself. Its advertising clients are studios. Its access depends on maintaining relationships with the same companies whose products it reviews. This is not a conflict of interest — it is the business model. Rooney's review reads exactly like what it is: a document calibrated to preserve access while technically qualifying as criticism. The review spent more words on production design than on the film's 12% audience score trajectory.

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