Will Ferrell’s new Netflix comedy The Hawkhas marked a TV low for the comedian, with the show debuting to a 32 percent score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
The series follows Lonnie Hawkins (portrayed by Ferrell), a former professional golfer who is now on a losing streak and determined to return to his glory days.
The Hawk, which is the first Netflix comedy series Ferrell has starred in, received the dire score on Rotten Tomatoes – one of his lowest-ever ratings on the platform. Ferrell is no stranger to poor reviews, with his 2017 comedy The House scoring a mere 20 per cent with critics, and his 2018 detective film Holmes & Watsonsecuring a career low rating of 10 per cent.
Despite a stellar cast, critics have dragged the show’s comedic timing (or lack thereof), Lonnie’s total unlikeability, and a sense of humour that seems stuck in the 1990s. Ferrell is a familiar household name for many, having gained popularity during a seven year tenure on Saturday Night Livein the US. Following his departure from the show in 2002, he starred in a number of films including Elf (2003), Anchorman (2004),Tallageda Nights (2006), andStep Brothers (2008).
Critics may be divided on many recent releases, but The Hawkcertainly isn’t one of them. The Independent’s Louis Chilton’s critique – at only two stars – was hardly forgiving as he noted: “Ferrell is a performer whose glory days have seemingly passed. Where once he ruled the box office, now he’s grinding out a comeback on Netflix.”
Variety’s Alison Herman had a similar reaction to Ferrell’s new character, writing that the show makes him “grating enough to be tiresome while stopping shy of giving the character real edge, stranding Lonnie in an uncanny valley between the two poles”.
On the broader series, she added: “The Hawkmostly floats along, missing both the bite of satire and the driving force of narrative momentum.”
Vicky Jessop from NMEdelivered perhaps the harshest review so far at only one star, saying: “There is nothing original about this show. Lonnie is a pastiche of every single character Ferrell has played over the last two decades: shades of Ron Burgundy, Buddy The Elf and Step Brothers‘ Brennan Huff all abound here, but with the crassness dialled right up.”
The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg echoed the same agreement when he called The Hawk “a show that consistently operates at a barely minimal level.”
The supporting cast offers little respite. Lonnie’s wife Stacy (played by Ferrell’s SNL co-star Molly Shannon) provides almost no comedic value beyond “frequently threatening to cut the d***s off of various characters in various ways,” Fienberg adds. “Nothing about Stacey is funny as a character.”
The Hawk marks the first Netflix comedy series that Ferrell has starred in, with the comedian having previously executive produced 2024’s No Good Deedand2019’s Dead to Me for the platform.
Not every recent Ferrell project has been a disaster with the critics. His 2025 romcom You’re Cordially Invited was praised for a strong banter between Ferrell and his co-star Reese Witherspoon, and his 2024 documentary Will & Harper, which follows the story of Will’s longtime friend Harper Steele on her gender transition journey, became a universal success, scoring 99 per cent with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
He has also dabbled extensively in producing films, beginning with a 13-year partnership with Succession’s Adam McKay – which turned sour in 2019. The pair closed down their production company, Gary Sanchez, which McKay later said was the reason behind their fall-out.
The Hawk is now streaming on Netflix.
