Before has earned a career-low Rotten Tomatoes score for star Billy Crystal. The actor, who is best known for his roles in comedies including When Harry Met Sally, Monsters, Inc., and City Slickers, stars in the Apple TV+ series as widower psychologist Eli, who discovers that he has a mysterious connection to his newest patient. The Before cast also includes Jacobi Jupe, Maria Dizzia, Ava Lalezarzadeh, Rosie Perez, Judith Light, Itzhak Perlman, and Miriam Shor.
Rotten Tomatoes has now tabulated a score for Before out of 12 different critics’ reviews. While it could fluctuate as more reviews are added, at the time of writing, it is a firmly Rotten 33%. This marks the worst Rotten Tomatoes score for a project with Crystal in a major role since 2012, when he starred in both Parental Guidance (18%) and Small Apartments (30%). In general, it is his worst score since 2016’s The Comedian (24%), in which he made a cameo as himself.
What This Before Rotten Tomatoes Score Means For Billy Crystal
It’s In The Bottom Quarter Of His Entire Career
This 33% score for Before marks one of the worst scores of Crystal’s entire career, either on the big or small screens. The Apple TV+ show is currently tied for his eighth-worst score of all time with the 2001 rom-com America’s Sweethearts, and marks one of just 16 splats he has received throughout his career, which includes 32 movie and TV titles that have received official Rotten Tomatoes scores. Below, see a breakdown of every scripted title featuring Billy Crystal that has received a score equal to or lower than Before:
|
Title |
RT Score |
|---|---|
|
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold (1994) |
15% |
|
Parental Guidance (2012) |
18% |
|
My Giant (1998) |
21% |
|
The Comedian (2016) |
24% |
|
Fathers’ Day (1997) |
25% |
|
Analyze That (2002) |
26% |
|
Small Apartments (2012) |
30% |
|
America’s Sweethearts (2001) |
33% |
|
Before (2024) |
33% |
These dismal Before reviews, which largely criticize the show’s downbeat and over-the-top story, overlong runtime, and mediocre construction despite many praising Crystal’s performance, could doom the show before it even has a chance to establish itself after its two-episode premiere. Quite a few Apple TV+ dramas led by major stars have languished and been cancelled after one season, even those with Fresh scores like Elisabeth Moss’ Shining Girls (84%). While Before is designed as a miniseries, if audiences feel the same way as critics, it may not receive the viewership it needs to justify its budget.
Our Take On The Before Rotten Tomatoes Score
Billy Crystal Could Recover Quickly
While the Rotten Tomatoes score for Before is a major stumble for Billy Crystal, it comes during a time when his recent work has been fairly well-regarded. Prior to the debut of the new thriller drama, two of his three scripted projects released since 2019 have received Fresh scores, including the Disney+ show Monsters at Work (a 65% average for two seasons) and the dramedy movie Standing Up, Falling Down (Certified Fresh at 87%). Thus, the show isn’t part of a long negative streak and Crystal’s next project may have a solid chance of earning him yet another Fresh score.
Before airs on Apple TV+ on Fridays through December 20.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
Before: After losing his wife, child psychiatrist Dr. Eli Adler becomes entangled with a disturbed young boy linked to his past. The series unravels the complex intersections of grief and memory as Dr. Adler searches for answers, revealing deeper connections between his present and the boy’s mysterious background.
- Cast
- Billy Crystal , Judith Light , Rosie Perez , Jacobi Jupe , Maria Dizzia , Ava Lalezarzadeh
- Character(s)
- Dr. Eli Adler , Lynn , Denise , Noah , Barbara , Cleo
- Release Date
- October 24, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Sarah Thorp