Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 793
RT slug: freelance_2023
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/freelance_2023
Release year: 2023
Runtime: 109 mins
Wide release date: 2023-10-27
Limited release date: —
Festival premiere date: —
Streaming release date: 2023-11-28
Tomatometer final: 10%
Audience score final: —
Genres: Action, Comedy
Directors: Pierre Morel
Writers: Jacob Lentz
Producers: Christopher Milburn, Christopher Tuffin, Renee Tab, Steve Richards
MPAA rating: R
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-06-17 18:59:51
Updated: 2026-06-17 18:59:51
Ex-special forces operative Mason Pettis (John Cena) is stuck in a dead-end desk job when he reluctantly takes on a freelance gig to provide private security for washed-up journalist Claire Wellington (Alison Brie) as she interviews the ruthless--but impeccably dressed--dictator, Juan Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba). When a military coup breaks out just as she's about to get the scoop of a lifetime, the unlikely trio must figure out how to survive the jungle AND each other in order to make it out alive!
Much like a real-life Freelance gig, this sodden action comedy offers no benefits.
Canonical reviews: 39
Canonical fresh: 4
Canonical rotten: 35
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 10%
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-06-17 17:08:41
Snapshot Tomatometer: 10%
Snapshot review count: 39
Snapshot fresh count: 4
Snapshot rotten count: 35
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #1422 (full_snapshot)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| Relativity Media | distributor |
| AGC Studios | production |
| Endurance Media | production |
| Sentient Entertainment | production |
| Sentient Pictures | production |
| Wideangle Films | production |
| Yorkshire Film Services II | production |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Cena | Mason Pettis |
| 2 | Alison Brie | Claire Wellington |
| 3 | Juan Pablo Raba | President Venegas |
| 4 | Christian Slater | Sebastian Earle |
| 5 | Alice Eve | — |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 809 | processed | — | 2026-06-17 18:59:51 | Processed successfully into movie_id=793 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1422 | 2026-06-17 12:08:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-06-17 17:08:41 | 10% | 39 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 39 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=39, fresh=4, rotten=35, tomatometer=10%. Net new reviews added=39, fresh=4, rotten=35. Current canonical totals=39 reviews, 4 fresh, 35 rotten, tomatometer=10% (10.256%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (39). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (10%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 178283 | Codie Allen | Geek Vibes Nation | Rotten | 2/10 | 2025-07-22T00:31:24Z | 2025-07-22 00:31:24 | The green-screened backdrops evoke the aesthetics of a horrendous PowerPoint project. |
| 178284 | Leslie Felperin | Guardian | Fresh | 3/5 | 2024-06-24T21:52:57Z | 2024-06-24 21:52:57 | This haphazard comedy-action film mostly plays like the script was written on the discarded roach of a smoked joint, but the likability of the cast makes up for a lot. |
| 178285 | Emma Simmonds | Radio Times | Rotten | 2/5 | 2024-06-07T22:06:54Z | 2024-06-07 22:06:54 | Whether traversing the jungle in a spotless suit or pouring a round of drinks during a shoot-out, Raba's broadly comedic presence comes close to making this all worthwhile. |
| 178286 | Rubén Romero Santos | Cinemanía (Spain) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2024-04-04T21:02:20Z | 2024-04-04 21:02:20 | [Cena] takes on the role of a former special forces agent who must protect the lives of a journalist and the president of a country in flames due to a military coup. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 178287 | Nate Parker | Pajiba | Rotten | — | 2024-02-08T20:55:48Z | 2024-02-08 20:55:48 | It takes real effort to take comedic talent like Brie and Cena and turn them into … this. |
| 178288 | John Serba | Decider | Rotten | — | 2024-02-06T01:33:27Z | 2024-02-06 01:33:27 | There are moments in Freelance when you’ll wonder why, exactly, our protagonists are being chased and shot at, and the answer is simple – it’s because the movie needed something “exciting” to happen... |
| 178289 | Sebastian Zavala Kahn | Me gusta el cine | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2024-02-03T17:08:48Z | 2024-02-03 17:08:48 | It's the kind of movie that entertains on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but for which it might hurt a little to pay for a movie ticket (popcorn combo and all). Full review in Spanish. |
| 178290 | Chris Wasser | Sunday Independent (Ireland) | Rotten | 1/5 | 2024-01-11T00:18:43Z | 2024-01-11 00:18:43 | The first spectacular misfire of 2024. |
| 178291 | Andrew Murray | The Upcoming | Rotten | 2/5 | 2024-01-07T15:46:40Z | 2024-01-07 15:46:40 | While Cena’s endlessly likeable presence lends some entertainment value to Morel’s film, Freelance is a poorly conceived outing that has the feel of a crude comedy from 20 years ago. |
| 178292 | Donald Clarke | Irish Times | Rotten | 1/5 | 2024-01-02T15:23:22Z | 2024-01-02 15:23:22 | You would get more sparks from rubbing a wet flannel with a wetter rock. But try it anyway. It could hardly be more tedious than waiting for Freelance to crawl to its predictable denouement. |
| 178293 | Kevin Wight | The Wee Review | Rotten | — | 2023-12-30T18:28:36Z | 2023-12-30 18:28:36 | 1 An action comedy with barely any action and precious little comedy |
| 178294 | Cath Clarke | Guardian | Rotten | 1/5 | 2023-12-25T14:53:33Z | 2023-12-25 14:53:33 | Brie and Cena look lifeless and blank-faced; they’ve got no chemistry, and the objectionable dynamics of him manfully rescuing her shrieking from the clutches of the bad guys on repeat feel like a satire of the genre – which this isn’t. |
| 178295 | James Croot | The Post NZ | Rotten | 2/5 | 2023-11-27T19:32:04Z | 2023-11-27 19:32:04 | Too much of the expository heavy lifting and strangely deep political discourse is done by the dialogue, pretty much suffocating any comedic potential in the process... |
| 178296 | Louisa Moore | Screen Zealots | Fresh | — | 2023-11-19T18:40:47Z | 2023-11-19 18:40:47 | This meant-to-be-forgettable action comedy relies heavily on the universal appeal of the ever-charming Cena, which makes it all the more enjoyable. I had a fun time watching this one. |
| 178297 | David Griffiths | Subculture Entertainment | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2023-11-16T04:13:34Z | 2023-11-16 04:13:34 | When this film concentrates on its main point - that of how media can manipulate how a world leader is soon and how war is not always justified - it is on song. However, the film struggles with its tone, often not knowing whether it is drama or comedy. |
| 178298 | Alan Ng | Film Threat | Rotten | 4/10 | 2023-11-08T00:02:15Z | 2023-11-08 00:02:15 | If you’re going to make a movie like Freelance, you’ve got to find a single moment (preferably two or three) that stands out and is mind-blowingly different than any other film. |
| 178299 | David Nusair | Reel Film Reviews | Rotten | 2/4 | 2023-11-04T12:27:12Z | 2023-11-04 12:27:12 | Freelance progresses into a sluggish and hopelessly uninvolving midsection... |
| 178300 | Travis Hopson | Punch Drunk Critics | Rotten | 2/5 | 2023-11-02T16:53:10Z | 2023-11-02 16:53:10 | Freelance is an utter disaster that I can't believe John Cena and Alison Brie agreed to be a part of. |
| 178301 | Katie Walsh | Tribune News Service | Rotten | 1.5/4 | 2023-10-30T22:20:46Z | 2023-10-30 22:20:46 | “Freelance” is an incredibly goofy jumble of tones, flailing about as it overstays its welcome. There’s no need to hire this contractor. |
| 178302 | Robert Kojder | Flickering Myth | Rotten | 1/5 | 2023-10-28T05:50:06Z | 2023-10-28 05:50:06 | A head-scratching disaster that doesn’t so much as mix genres and tones but rather puzzlingly cycles through them with no apparent reason or thematic purpose, desperately hoping something starts to click |
| 178303 | Jeffrey M. Anderson | Common Sense Media | Rotten | 1/5 | 2023-10-28T01:13:22Z | 2023-10-28 01:13:22 | This lifeless, generic, confusing, unfunny mess is so glaringly out of touch with reality that it makes your head hurt. |
| 178304 | Mike McGranaghan | Aisle Seat | Rotten | 1.5/4 | 2023-10-27T21:20:26Z | 2023-10-27 21:20:26 | Despite the likeable lead actors, Freelance is an instantly forgettable movie. |
| 178305 | Brian Tallerico | RogerEbert.com | Rotten | — | 2023-10-27T21:13:59Z | 2023-10-27 21:13:59 | .5/4 There’s an oppressive nothingness to “Freelance.” No romance. No comedy. No action. |
| 178306 | M.N. Miller | Hidden Remote | Rotten | 1.5/5 | 2023-10-27T20:14:41Z | 2023-10-27 20:14:41 | It’s as if the studio saw the success of The Lost City and decided to type in “Tropical romantic-action-comedy with cheaper actors” on Chat GPT and hit enter. |
| 178307 | Nick Rogers | Midwest Film Journal | Rotten | 1/5 | 2023-10-27T16:08:24Z | 2023-10-27 16:08:24 | It will appeal only to those who would march into hell for John Cena, and its content reflects the barren, scorched scenery such fans would discover there — a wasteland of his considerable potential for mugging, making jokes and mowing people down. |
| 178308 | Mark Dujsik | Mark Reviews Movies | Rotten | 0.5/4 | 2023-10-27T12:52:48Z | 2023-10-27 12:52:48 | Cena and Brie appear as bored as they must have been doing the same stunts, making the same jokes, and being expected to carry material like this... |
| 178309 | Richard Crouse | Richard Crouse | Rotten | 2/5 | 2023-10-27T12:42:13Z | 2023-10-27 12:42:13 | Freelance is the kind of movie that once gathered dust in direct-to-DVD bins at Blockbuster. |
| 178310 | Chris Knight | Original Cin | Rotten | D | 2023-10-27T12:36:42Z | 2023-10-27 12:36:42 | This lackluster effort from director Pierre Morel signals that we have entered the dark age action comedies. |
| 178311 | Andrew Parker | The Gate | Rotten | 4/10 | 2023-10-27T12:15:00Z | 2023-10-27 12:15:00 | Pretty much a copy of a copy of a copy with microscopic tweaks made along the way, viewers can be forgiven for thinking they’ve seen Freelance before because it’s so wildly indistinguishable from any other similarly minded films. |
| 178312 | Jeffrey Harris | 411mania | Rotten | 2/10 | 2023-10-27T09:35:22Z | 2023-10-27 09:35:22 | Freelance is a low-rent, low-frills, low-energy action-comedy. Despite the copious talent of a strong cast, they fail to elevate the experience to something remotely entertaining. |
| 178313 | Brian Orndorf | Blu-ray.com | Rotten | D | 2023-10-27T03:11:49Z | 2023-10-27 03:11:49 | Laughs aren’t present in the feature, which eventually sheds its comedic interests, giving viewers a film of confusing tonality. |
| 178314 | Ross Bonaime | Collider | Rotten | D | 2023-10-27T01:10:23Z | 2023-10-27 01:10:23 | Instead of getting into the action or the comedy, Freelance stops itself dead in its tracks to go over and over the laborious plotting of this story. |
| 178315 | Chris Bumbray | JoBlo's Movie Network | Rotten | — | 2023-10-27T00:34:45Z | 2023-10-27 00:34:45 | Some decent action scenes but the comedy falls flat. |
| 178316 | Carla Hay | Culture Mix | Rotten | — | 2023-10-26T22:59:16Z | 2023-10-26 22:59:16 | Watching the horrible action comedy flick Freelance is like being stuck in a putrid cesspool of idiocy, much like the film's main characters are stuck in a swampy jungle. The cast members have no chemistry with each other. The plot is formulaic junk. |
| 178317 | Angie Han | The Hollywood Reporter | Rotten | — | 2023-10-26T21:16:17Z | 2023-10-26 21:16:17 | Even the most cherished daydream needs a bit of skill and finessing if it’s to translate to the big screen, and that’s where Freelance falls fatally short — yielding not an uplifting escape, but an enervating bore. |
| 178318 | Derek Smith | Slant Magazine | Rotten | 1/4 | 2023-10-26T19:01:09Z | 2023-10-26 19:01:09 | By its conclusion, what we’re left with is a cinematic Frankenstein, whose disparate genre elements have been cobbled together without much consideration or fuss. |
| 178319 | Matt Donato | IGN Movies | Rotten | 4/10 | 2023-10-26T17:29:38Z | 2023-10-26 17:29:38 | Freelance is an eyesore of horrendous digital effects, features uninspired action, and wastes the few big names in its cast. |
| 178320 | Barry Hertz | Globe and Mail | Rotten | — | 2023-10-26T11:31:51Z | 2023-10-26 11:31:51 | John Cena deserves better. And so do we. |
| 178321 | Whang Yee Ling | The Straits Times (Singapore) | Rotten | 2/5 | 2023-10-25T20:16:45Z | 2023-10-25 20:16:45 | The only constant is the viewer’s boredom. |
Showing the latest 100 canonical reviews for this movie.