15 Bafflingly High Rotten Tomatoes Scores You Won't Believe

6. The Tree Of Life

Critical Consensus: "Terrence Malick's singularly deliberate style may prove unrewarding for some, but for patient viewers, Tree of Life is an emotional as well as visual treat." Why It's Wrong: Audiences were hugely split on Malick's long-gestating stream-of-consciousness drama, with the director's most ardent fans championing it as an existential masterpiece, while others criticised it for being bloated, self-indulgent and pretentious. Whatever side of the camp you fall in on, it's surprising the movie scooped such a strong critical score, especially considering the widely divided reviews that emerged from its Cannes Film Festival premiere. Why The Critics Liked It: Malick is a critical darling for one, but critics were also enchanted by the cinematography, the scope of the epic narrative, and the ambition of making something so utterly unlike anything else in cinema at the time. Plus, the film was released during summer blockbuster season, so likely gave reviewers a nice reprieve from superhero flicks and explosions en masse.