Netflix's #2 Show Is Climbing the Charts But the Reviews Tell a Different Story

People are seriously divided

Published Jul 21, 2026

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3:46pm

Courtesy of Netflix

With new titles landing on Netflix seemingly every day, it can be tough for any show to stand out. One of the streamer’s more talked-about recent releases, The Hawk, has already climbed to No. 2 on Netflix’s Top 10 chart, which isn’t exactly surprising. The series comes from comedy favorite Will Ferrell, the actor behind fan-favorite films like Anchorman, Step Brothers, and the holiday classic Elf. Unsurprisingly, plenty of viewers (myself included) tuned in expecting some signature Ferrell humor. What was more surprising, though, was the reaction that followed.

The Hawk is a sports comedy centered on Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins (Ferrell), a former No. 1-ranked golfer who is trying to reclaim his glory days and win the U.S. Open to complete the Career Grand Slam. Alongside Ferrell, the series stars Molly Shannon, Luke Wilson, Fortune Feimster, and more.

On paper, the combination of a stacked comedy cast and a familiar sports underdog storyline sounds like an easy win. But while The Hawk has found success on Netflix’s charts, the reviews have been much more divided.

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Courtesy of Netflix

On Rotten Tomatoes, audiences appear to be enjoying the series more than critics, with a 65 percent audience score compared to a 30 percent critics score. Still, those numbers show that viewers are far from unanimous.

Some viewers were especially critical:

"Worst show I have ever seen, couldn't get through the 1st 10min."

"The series is painfully unfunny and feels like it never should have made it past production."

"The Hawk was unwatchable. It missed the "so bad it's good" category by a mile."

But others had the complete opposite reaction:

"Laughed through every single episode! Such a great watch"

"This show was just plain fun and funny. It is a rarity to finish a series and say 'Nowthat was time well wasted.'”

"Can't understand why it's rated so low. Very entertaining, great cast, it's a lot of fun."

Ultimately, The Hawk seems to be one of those shows you’ll have to judge for yourself. Since it’s already landed in Netflix’s Top 10, it may be worth giving it a try, even if it’s just to see what side of the debate you land on. At the very least, you’ll have some solid water cooler conversation afterward.

All 10 episodes of The Hawk are streaming now on Netflix.

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Danielle Long

Contributing Editor, News and Entertainment

Writes breaking news and entertainment content
Covers award show red carpets and movie premieres
Has earned two Edward R. Murrow Awards

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