Fans and critics alike haven’t been kind to the newest Star Trek original movie Star Trek: Section 31. The film is currently sitting with a 19% Tomatometer score and an even lower Popcornmeter rating of 16% among fans, making it one of the worst-received Star Trek projects in franchise history.
It seems no one wants to give the film credit, but it seems that fans of the franchise were more than willing to give it a try given the recently released streaming figures from Nielsen!
The Michelle Yeoh-led original film managed to rack up 170 million minutes viewed during the week of Jan. 20 - Jan. 26, helping it land at the No. 8 spot on the weekly Nielsen Top 10 streaming chart for films. While No. 8 might not seem notable, it’s important to point out that Star Trek: Section 31 wasn’t even released on Paramount+ until Jan. 24 meaning it pulled in 170 million minutes within its first three days streaming on the platform. That’s not too shabby at all for a new film.
It’s also worth pointing out that Star Trek: Section 31 was the only Paramount+ film to break into the Top 10 for the week, making Star Trek: Section 31 the most streamed movie on the platform for the week. It’s also one of only two original streaming movies to make it into the Top 10 for the week, with the second being Netflix’s Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx action comedy Back in Action which was released the prior week on Jan. 17, thus giving it much more visibility among viewers. (For those who might ask, Unstoppable is technically a Prime Video original; however, it received a theatrical release unlike both Star Trek: Section 31 and Back in Action).
It’s easy to see negative reviews and write a movie off, but Star Trek: Section 31 is most certainly worth a view both for casual and die-hard Star Trek fans. There are many amazing movies that the masses did not give glowing reviews to which were incredible features such as Marvel’s Eternals which was met with a wave of negative reviews which sadly resulted in the film underperforming despite the incredible performances from its A-List cast and its breathtaking visuals and masterfully told storyline crafted by director Chloe Zhao.
The film’s ratings prove it’s not the flop so many made it out to be and, while Star Trek: Section 31 might not be the strongest Star Trek film, it’s definitely worth taking a chance on and don’t let the haters impact your decision. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? You give it a chance and don’t like it, but you could also be one of the fans who have appreciated the film and enjoyed it. You never know unless you give it a shot.
Star Trek: Section 31 is streaming now on Paramount+