‘White Chicks’ Makes a Surprising Comeback on Max!

by

Occasionally, it takes several years for a movie to gain widespread popularity, and this is exactly what happened with the 2004 comedy “White Chicks,” directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, featuring Marlon and Shawn Wayans (also known as the Wayans Brothers). Initially, the film was merely a moderate success and received mixed reviews from critics, evidenced by its low 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, over time, “White Chicks” has been re-evaluated and is now often considered a cult classic, with numerous fans eagerly anticipating a sequel. In the meantime, the movie has regained popularity and become a hit on streaming platforms.

At the moment, “White Chicks” can be streamed on Max and is ranked ninth among their top ten films. It surpasses the James Franco comedy “Why Him” but trails several movies, including “End of Watch” (currently sixth), “Morbius” (seventh), and the most recent winner of the Best Animated Feature Oscar, “Flow” (third). The film featuring Hugh Grant, “Heretic”, is leading the pack, so “White Chicks” finds itself in an eclectic group of titles that have been released over the past twenty years.

In simpler terms, the movie titled “White Chicks” features two black FBI agents, Marlon and Shawn, who disguise themselves as white women to safeguard two wealthy heiresses from a kidnapping scheme aimed at affluent socialites. The cast includes Jamie King, Frankie Faison, Lochlyn Munro, John Heard, Busy Philipps, Jessica Cauffiel, Jennifer Carpenter, Brittany Daniel, and Terry Crews.

Upon its debut, the movie faced a wave of unfavorable reviews from critics, ultimately scoring 15% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the general consensus being it was a “comedy that’s overly silly and predictable.” Notably, White Chicks was nominated for five Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress for the two Wayans Brothers in drag, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Screen Couple. Unfortunately, it lost in all categories to Catwoman, which was deemed even more disastrous. The film has also faced ongoing criticism due to the leads wearing “white face” to portray Caucasian socialites, making some question if it would be acceptable today.

Despite receiving mostly negative reviews, the film “White Chicks” proved to be a financial success, earning $113.1 million globally on a production budget of $37 million. Over time, it has gained cult classic status, leading to discussions about a sequel for years. Not long ago, Marlon Wayans confirmed that they are considering making a sequel following the release of “Scary Movie 6”. The comedian stated, “I believe it’s time. First, let’s finish ‘Scary Movie 6’, and then we’ll bring out ‘White Chicks 2’.

‘White Chicks’ is Being Discovered by a New Audience

It’s exciting when a film starts streaming again because it finds a new audience, and that appears to be happening with White Chicks. Lately, there have been some positive reviews of the movie on Letterboxd, which seems to align with its recent popularity on Max.

1. Broncosfan69’s four-star review of the film expresses their awe, saying, “This movie left me feeling motivated to learn how to spin on my head; it has touched me in a way I can’t quite put into words.”

2. Nicoleodeon watched the film on a plane for their four-star review and commented, “The woman sitting next to me shifted her seat as I was watching this movie, leading me to wonder if there was some connection.”

3. Aripretzel, having already seen the movie for their three-and-half-star review, found both the humorous and uncomfortable moments enjoyable but challenging to rate, expressing their thoughts by saying, “I’m unsure how to grade this film; it contains numerous scenes that I adore. I understand the criticisms of racial stereotyping, but that was also its intent. The jokes still made me cringe during a rewatch, yet I can’t imagine this movie being made today.”

Read More

2025-03-13 14:33