10 Movies You Wouldn’t Believe Are Certified Fresh On Rotten Tomatoes

One of the most recent and surprising hits this year, Scream (2022), has managed to obtain its “Certified Fresh” status with a Tomatometer score of 77%. This was quite the surprising turn of events that not even slasher fans could have predicted; the last three films in the Scream franchise were unable to garner high enough praise from Rotten Tomatoes’ critics to qualify for the title.

Against all odds, Scream (2022) managed to recapture a little bit more of what critics felt made the original special, while providing a solid foundation for the future of the Scream franchise.  Whether through its departure from misleading trailers, its ability to surpass franchise predecessors, or just simply exceeding preconceived notions and defying expectations, some unlikely films are just able to prevail and achieve their “Certified Fresh” status.

10 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (2009)

Coming in strong with its 86% Tomatometer score, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is an animated film about Flint Lockwood, a failed inventor, who builds a machine that converts water into food, resulting in a variety of delicious foods raining from the sky.

A quirky film that confused people with its trailers, filled with burgers falling from the sky, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs‘ “Certified Fresh” status may come as a surprise to some who may have seen the previews as nothing but silly. However, while it may not be the most insightful film ever made, Rotten Tomatoes critics appear to view this as a well-animated family comedy that can entertain kids with its slapstick humor, and adults with its witty dialogue and references.

9 Spy Kids (2001)

A high Tomatometer score of 93% is quite impressive for this early 2000s kids’ movie about two young children who must become spies to save their abducted ex-spy parents.

While it would seem like many people might deem this as a childhood classic and leave reviews that result in high scores due to nostalgia, it is actually quite interesting how the critics’ score is higher than the audience’s score of 46%. What makes the comparatively low audience score even more surprising is Spy Kids was considered a surprise hit at the time, grossing close to $150 million, spawning its own franchise. Despite audience contradicting opinions, many critics stand firmly on their ground and agree that Spy Kids is still an all-around fun and action-packed movie for children, even if the special effects don’t hold up today.

8 Midsommar (2019)

Whether it’s because the story itself isn’t good, or the scares don’t hit right, or even if the scares hit too much, horror films often struggle with obtaining high ratings. However, Midsommar, a horror film about a couple and their unsteady relationship as they travel to a Swedish midsummer festival that transforms into a nightmare, earns its “Certified Fresh” status with its 83% Tomatometer score.

Critics on Rotton Tomatoes view Midsommar not just as a film that is unsettling in all the right ways, but also as a visually impressive and artistically crafted story. Even the audience score comes in at 63% which is a relatively fair score for a horror film. However, it is still kind of impressive that the critics’ score is that much higher than the audience’s score, given Midsommar, while by no means a flop, grossed only a little more than half of Ari Aster’s previous hit, Heriditary (2018).

7 Smallfoot (2018)

Just making the cut with its 76% Tomatometer score, Smallfoot managed to win over the critics just enough to earn its “Certified Fresh” title. In this animated film, a kind-hearted Yeti discovers a human being, but struggles to find anyone that believes him. Hoping to prove his peers wrong after being banished from his home, he sets out on an epic journey.

Before its release, theaters across the United States and Canada projected Smallfoot to gross about $25-$30 million. However, in actuality, it managed to gross $83.2 million, a pretty substantial difference from what theaters projected this reverse Bigfoot story would produce. Despite these doubts, critics seem to view this as an all-around entertaining, colorful movie for kids, but with a plot that still might pique adult interest.

6 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)

Also just making the cut with its 76% Tomatometer score, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle‘s “Certified Fresh” status came as a shock, even to most critics. Summarizing many critics’ feelings, one Rotten Tomatoes top critic, Robert Daniels, even wrote “The myriad of ways this sequel could have ended in disaster were obvious and ripe. Nevertheless, against all odds, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a good movie.”

What makes this even more interesting is the fact that this movie has a higher rating than the original Jumanji (1995) starring Robin Williams, which doesn’t even qualify for “Certified Fresh” with its 55% Tomatometer score. Despite competing with the ’90s classic and other movies in its franchise, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is actually the only film in the franchise to be labeled “Certified Fresh”.

5 Klaus (2019)

An unexpected Santa Claus origin story, Klaus earned its 94% Tomatometer score with its unique tale of a postman stranded in an island town, accidentally bringing about the existence of Santa Claus.

A lot of popular and continually rewatched Christmas movies are often older or at least need some time to establish themselves as ‘classics’. However, many critics on Rotten Tomatoes express that they could easily see Klaus becoming a holiday favorite for many, and note its gorgeous hand-drawn animation and heartwarming narrative. The extremely positive reception is a nice surprise for a Christmas movie that was released on a streaming platform instead of theaters.

4 Warm Bodies (2013)

According to Rotten Tomatoes’ critics and its 81% Tomatometer score, Warm Bodies manages to surpass the stereotype that romantic teen movies are poorly written. Balancing between comedy, romance, and horror, Warm Bodies tells an apocalyptic tale of a zombie who rescues a human and gradually transforms into a human the more their bond grows.

Rotten Tomatoes top critic, Sara Fetters, wrote, “Warm Bodies achieves a heartfelt ebullience that’s inspiring, and for a movie about the undead watching this made me feel as alive as anything I’ve seen in ages.” It’s quite interesting how this zombie teen romance film, which grossed only $66.4 million in the US, garnered such a high Tomatometer score when the famous vampire romance, Twilight (2008), grossed $191.4 million but barely received a 49% Tomatometer score.

3 Sausage Party (2016)

With an audience score of only 50%, it is quite interesting that Sausage Party manages to score an 82% with critics, landing this weird animated comedy into the “Certified Fresh” category.

It seems that critics prefer this tale about hotdogs and buns learning about the horrifying secret of becoming a meal more than the average viewer. Despite it grossing a modest $97.7 million in the US, it appears that this movie just didn’t overly appeal to a majority of audiences. But overall, what determines who likes it boils down to whether one clicks with its very specific brand of raunchy humor.

2 The Loved Ones (2009)

With a score of 98%, The Loved Ones holds the highest Tomatometer score on this list. This movie is about a high-school senior who kidnaps her classmate after he declines her invitation to prom, and combines aspects of the teen, horror, and thriller genres.

Along with its incredibly high Tomatometer score, a particularly surprising thing to note is this movie is featured on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Top 100 Horror Movies” list, sitting alongside classics like Psycho (1960) and more recent hits like Get Out (2017). This is quite some praise for a movie with such an unassuming premise. Additionally, the audience score comes in at 73%, which is pretty substantial for a movie that contains a solid amount of gore and torture.

1 Rise Of The Guardians (2012)

With a Tomatometer score of precisely 75%, Rise of the Guardians provides just enough to be labeled as “Certified Fresh”. This is a movie that depicts Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy as protectors of the world’s children from darkness, with an unexpected Jack Frost as the main protagonist.

Rise of the Guardians didn’t particularly perform well at the box office compared to other Dreamworks animated films. To give perspective, it grossed only $103.4 million, and even the meme that is BeeMovie grossed more than that with $126.6 million. Rise of the Guardians is enjoyable and not a horrible movie in any particular way, but it’s still impressive that this movie just manages to be “Certified Fresh” given this knowledge. Overall, critics found this movie to be charming and enchanting but not flawless by any means, as it is carried mostly by its magical animation and touching moments.