Benedict Cumberbatch’s Latest Movie RT Score Is Nothing Like Doctor Strange

Following early festival buzz and a high-profile lead performance, The Thing with Feathers has debuted to negative critical reception, landing a lukewarm score on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Dylan Southern and featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, the psychological drama has struggled to win over top critics despite its ambitious adaptation of Max Porter’s novel.

The Thing with Feathers reviews aren’t in favor of the film

Critics gave The Thing with Feathers predominantly negative reviews. Sheila O’Malley of RogerEbert.com noted, “When the film doesn’t work, the problem often lies in the choices made when adapting the source material,” and rated it 1.5/4. Wendy Ide from The Observer (UK) criticized the film’s approach, stating that the “shoddy-looking crow… makes the film literal, prosaic and faintly absurd.” Kevin Maher of The Times (UK) gave it 1/5 and described it as “hollow dramas crammed with ersatz emotions.”

Jonathan Romney of Financial Times said the climax becomes “disastrously” literal with a demon “that seems to have escaped from Hellraiser.” Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it “oppressive and, in an odd way, not very interesting.” David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film is “too busy clobbering us over the head.” Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian stated, “Once the crow is there, the film looks self-conscious.” Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph (UK) criticized its approach as “ill-suited to this unpoetic quasi-horror.” Further, Nick Schager of The Daily Beast called it “an excruciatingly literal affair.”

The Thing with Feathers’ Rotten Tomatoes isn’t praiseworthy

The Thing with Feathers holds a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 53 reviews. The site labels this as a “Rotten” score. No audience score is available at this time.

The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus states, “The Thing with Feathers manages to take flight thanks in part to Benedict Cumberbatch, but choppy characterizations and lack of subtlety make for a rough ride.” The film was released theatrically in the U.S. on November 28, 2025.

Source: Comingsoon.net