Lily James’ new Hulu biographical drama film has received a disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score after its streaming debut. Inspired by the real-life story of Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of the dating app Bumble, Swiped explores her journey to becoming a self-made billionaire.
Directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, the movie had a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before its streaming release on September 19. James was joined by Dan Stevens, Myha’la, Dermot Mulroney, and Clea DuVall in the cast. Even though the movie is based on a true story, Swiped features many original characters.
At the time of writing, Swiped has a 37% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, generated from 51 reviews. James’ performance received some praise, but many argued that the movie’s lack of seriousness and depth on the subject matter yielded an unsatisfying viewing experience.
What This Means For Lily James’ New Hulu Movie
While Wolfe Herd is best known for her entrepreneurship, Swiped also details her time as the head of marketing and the only female executive at Tinder, during which she was subjected to Sєxism, misogyny, and prejudice. After she parted ways with the company, Wolfe Herd filed a lawsuit against Tinder, and her experience working in a toxic workspace eventually led to her starting Bumble.
Swiped makes a bold choice to tackle these important topics in a biographical movie while having to maintain an entertaining watch for casual viewers. It makes sense that not all would agree with its treatment. While the new biographical drama is unlikely to be recognized as one of Lily James’ best work, as teased in Swiped‘s trailer, the actor brilliantly captured the anxiety and paranoia of being in a toxic workplace.
Our Take On Swiped’ 37% Rotten Tomatoes Score
The movie may have failed to captivate critics from The New York Times, Variety, and RogerEbert.com, but it also earned recognition from many reputable publications like The Guardian, AV Club, and ScreenRant. ScreenRant rated Swiped six out of ten. While the review acknowledged its lack of complexity, it pointed out that the movie is still a worthwhile watch on its own.
Swiped is entertaining, especially for those who didn’t know the story of Bumble’s founder very well. It took some liberty in adapting Whitney Wolfe Herd’s story for a movie, but it served its purpose to explore feminism and misogyny in the tech business. So far, the movie doesn’t have enough reviews to generate an audience RT score. Based on reviews from other sources, it’s very likely that fans might like it better.
