How A Comedy Flop Critics Hated Became A Netflix Hit 20 Years Later

by

Despite initially being a box office disappointment and receiving negative reviews when it came out in 2006, the college comedy Accepted is now finding a new audience as it’s climbed into the top 10 on Netflix. The film stars Justin Long as Bartleby, a student who doesn’t get into college and decides to create his own.

Okay, so this movie centers around a guy, Bartleby, who’s seriously stressing about what his parents will think and what he’s going to do with his life. Instead of dealing with it, he comes up with this completely wild idea – he builds a fake university, and enlists a bunch of his equally quirky friends to help him pull it off. Now, his best friend, Sherman – played by Jonah Hill, who actually did get into a good school – somehow gets roped into the scheme, and things quickly spiral into hilarious chaos. It’s a really fun, albeit unbelievable, ride.

When a group of high school graduates tries to create a fake college, they discover hidden talents and abilities within themselves. Interestingly, the movie Accepted, which wasn’t well-received by critics when it came out in 2006, gained a devoted following and recently became a streaming hit on Netflix in early 2026.

Accepted Was A Critical And Box Office Flop In 2006

When the movie Accepted came out, many critics pointed out the irony of its story: the film didn’t live up to its potential, mirroring the struggles of its main characters. This negative reception was made worse by the film’s poor performance at the box office, earning only $36 million despite costing $23 million to make.

Despite many college comedies being more daring, creative, and well-acted, Accepted has surprisingly gained a better reputation lately. This is largely thanks to the talented cast, who have all achieved significant success since the film came out.

Soon after the film Accepted came out, Blake Lively, who played Long’s love interest Monica, landed a role in Gossip Girl and became a well-known actress. Despite some controversies in 2023, Hill gained prominence as a comedic actor following Accepted, with memorable roles in Superbad and Get Him to the Greek.

Jonah Hill became a huge movie star thanks to the 21 Jump Street films, and he showed off his serious acting skills in The Wolf of Wall Street and Moneyball. Justin Long was already well-known, with roles in popular comedies like Jeepers Creepers and Dodgeball, when Accepted came out, and his appearance really captures the spirit of comedy in the 2000s.

Accepted’s Box Office Failure Changed Hollywood Comedy History

Even if Accepted becomes a favorite on Netflix in 2026, its initial poor performance significantly impacted American comedy films. When Accepted came out, R-rated comedies weren’t popular, and most big studios were making PG-13 or milder comedies instead.

Popular comedies from the 2000s, such as Anchorman, Mean Girls, Dodgeball, Talladega Nights, the Austin Powers films, and most of Adam Sandler’s movies, generally received PG-13 ratings. R-rated comedies were less common and often made with smaller budgets, like Kevin Smith’s Waiting… and Clerks 2.

Big, expensive comedies with an R rating weren’t usually successful at the box office, as seen with films like Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. But things were starting to shift even before the movie Accepted didn’t perform well. Judd Apatow’s 2005 comedy, The Forty-Year-Old Virgin, was a huge hit, earning $177 million despite only costing $26 million to make.

After the flop of Accepted and the surprise hit of The Forty-Year-Old Virgin, Hollywood started funding different kinds of comedies. This led to a noticeable shift towards more R-rated comedies in the late 2000s. Accepted‘s poor performance specifically pushed studios away from the safer, PG-13 comedies and towards the more raunchy style associated with filmmaker Judd Apatow.

Following the success of Superbad and Knocked Up, a wave of popular R-rated comedies like Pineapple Express, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Tropic Thunder, Step Brothers, and Bridesmaids hit theaters. While some PG-13 comedies still came out, such as Drillbit Taylor and I Love You, Beth Cooper, they often felt bland and weren’t as well-received.

Accepted’s Netflix Success Highlights A New Trend

I’ve been noticing something really interesting lately – a lot of people are getting hooked on older comedies through streaming, and it’s kind of blown up! The success of Accepted really points to this trend – we’re all feeling a bit nostalgic for the vibe of early 2000s comedies. Even though 2 Broke Girls is from the 2010s, it feels like viewers are really craving that specific style of humor that was popular in early 2000s Hollywood films. It’s cool to see those movies getting a second life!

We’re seeing a clear trend of audiences wanting early 2000s comedies again. From the 2024 Mean Girls musical movie, to films inspired by classics like Snack Shack and Bottoms, and even the revival of Scary Movie, people are actively looking for that nostalgic humor. So, the fact that Accepted unexpectedly became a hit on Netflix isn’t that surprising when you consider this bigger picture.

Read More

2026-01-21 04:00