Anthony Mackie’s New Movie Is Getting Review-Bombed From Both Sides — Here’s Why

If you paid any attention to the box office this weekend, you might have noticed Anthony Mackie’s latest movie, Desert Warrior, quietly sneaking into theaters. Well, things have not gone smoothly since then — the film has turned into a full-blown magnet for negative reviews online, and not just the usual ‘meh’ variety. We’re talking about a serious review-bomb situation.

And... the Internet Strikes

Right now, Desert Warrior is sitting at a jaw-dropping 1.9 out of 10 on IMDb. That is by far the lowest-rated movie in Mackie’s career — a pretty dubious record to set. Over 5,000 IMDb users have weighed in so far, most with a brutal verdict: nearly three-quarters (73% of over 3,800 users) slapped it with the lowest score possible.

If you like your numbers bleak but fair, Rotten Tomatoes isn’t quite as harsh — the Tomatometer is at 31% and the audience Popcorn score is a middling 64%. Still, the overall vibe is pretty clear: most people are not loving it.

What’s Actually Going On With All the Hate?

Here’s where things get interesting. The primary fuel for this backlash seems to be less about the movie’s actual content (though critics aren’t thrilled there either) and more about what’s happening behind the camera. Desert Warrior was bankrolled by MBC Studios, a Saudi-owned entertainment company. A lot of people see this as part of Saudi Arabia’s very public attempt to ‘rebrand’ itself on the global stage — you’ve probably heard about this elsewhere, whether it’s Formula 1, soccer, or now movies.

Basically, the movie is catching heat for being what a lot of folks are calling Saudi-funded propaganda. And with a budget of $150 million, it’s now the most expensive movie ever shot in Saudi Arabia — which probably isn’t helping anyone feel less suspicious about its motives.

Here’s something you don’t always see: the international backlash is actually coming from all directions, including the Middle East. Users in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE have been especially vocal. Some are baffled that a movie telling a historical story about the region is entirely in English, and they’re not shy about criticizing the decision to cast white actors as Middle Eastern figures.

'The most ridiculous part is that the movie is entirely in English. As a Saudi, it’s a joke that I have to read Arabic subtitles to understand a story about my own environment and my own people. Our language, the participating tribes of Dhi Qar, and our Bedouin culture are our identity and pride. We inherited this history, and seeing it presented this way is a complete insult.'

That’s from a Saudi viewer who left a (very) low rating on Letterboxd, just to give you an idea of how the actual target audience feels about it.

What’s Going on Behind the Scenes?

The movie didn’t exactly have a smooth production, either. Before its world premiere at the 2025 Zurich Film Festival, filming dragged out for about a year, then post-production limped on for over three years — thanks in part to creative squabbles between director Rupert Wyatt and MBC Studios. Things got heated enough that Wyatt bailed before post-production even wrapped, which, let’s be honest, usually isn’t a great sign for the film’s tone or consistency.

Who’s in This Thing?

• Anthony Mackie (of course)
• Aiysha Hart
• Sharlto Copley
• Ghassan Massoud
• Ben Kingsley
• Numan Acar
• Sami Bouajila
• Lamis Ammar
• Géza Röhrig

What Happens Next?

In short: Desert Warrior is now a case study on how a movie can go wrong from every possible angle — creative, corporate, and cultural. With Anthony Mackie prepping his big Marvel comeback as Captain America in Avengers: Doomsday (that’s coming in December 2026, in case you’re keeping score), this movie probably isn’t the warm-up he or his fans were hoping for.

It’s not every day you see a major Hollywood project set off this many fireworks behind the scenes and in the audience ratings. But hey: if you ever wanted to witness a $150 million experiment in how to annoy basically everyone, Desert Warrior is now playing — at least for now.