Guy Ritchie’s ‘Fountain of Youth’ Defies Critics to Become Streaming Sensation

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Once again, director Guy Ritchie has returned to the action/adventure genre, drawing inspiration from movies like Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and Tomb Raider for his latest project titled Fountain of Youth. The film stars an impressive cast including John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Eiza Gonzalez, Domhnall Gleeson, and Stanley Tucci, and premiered on Apple TV+ on May 23. Despite receiving unfavorable reviews from critics (with a 36% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes), Fountain of Youth has garnered significant interest among viewers.

Fountain of Youth is the most popular movie on Apple TV+ this week. It sits ahead of The Gorge in second, and Wolfs in third. Admittedly, Apple TV+ doesn’t have the largest offering of movies, meaning it is far easier for a new release to hit the top of the streamer’s chart upon release. But, to hit No. 1 so quickly after release is a notable sign that the film is immensely popular among subscribers. If you hadn’t guessed from the title, the film follows a ragtag group of adventurers on a mission to find the mysterious Fountain of Youth. The official synopsis reads:

In simpler terms, the main character is gathering a group for an exciting expedition, but to stay ahead of potential dangers along the way, he requires an individual who matches or exceeds his intelligence. That person turns out to be his long-lost sibling.

Critic Mark Keizer from MovieWeb found that while viewers on Apple TV+ might enjoy it, the show “Fountain of Youth” didn’t manage to consistently impress him. He labeled it as being similar to an Apple TV+ algorithm turned into a movie in his review title. In their critique, they said that if one were curious about what would happen if A.I. became sentient, they should watch Apple TV+’s overly lavish and tiresomely generic “Fountain of Youth.” The film received a score of 2/5 from them.

Guy Ritchie Is One of the Busiest Directors Around

As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but admire Guy Ritchie’s relentless work pace. Over the last two years alone, he’s given us six new projects: “Fountain of Youth”, “MobLand”, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”, “The Gentlemen”, “The Covenant”, and most recently, “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre”. While I appreciate his creative output, it seems that sometimes, quality might be sacrificed for quantity. Many of these projects haven’t quite achieved the blockbuster status he was aiming for.

Among the group, Netflix’s “The Gentlemen” stood out as the most successful. In 2024, this Netflix series garnered immense popularity and was swiftly renewed for a second season. Meanwhile, “The Covenant,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, received fair reviews but didn’t quite match the popularity of director Guy Ritchie’s previous works. However, “MobLand,” “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” and “Operation Fortune” have collectively failed to impress critics.

At present, Ritchie is juggling six fresh undertakings. Besides the second installment of The Gentleman, he’s directing the follow-up to one of Disney’s early live-action adaptations, Aladdin. The sequel has been in the pipeline for quite some time now, but it remains uncertain if the film will ever go into production. As for movies, he is currently directing In the Grey (which is already in post-production) and Wife and Dog (also in post-production). Additionally, he was recently appointed to lead Prime Video’s Road House 2. On top of these projects, he’s also working on a Young Sherlock series, which is currently being produced.

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2025-05-26 17:32