Elle Fanning Rockets To Career-Best Rotten Tomatoes Score With Star-Studded Apple TV+ Series

Well, Elle Fanning is having a moment. Her upcoming series Margo's Got Money Troubles hasn't even hit Apple TV yet, and it's already racking up some pretty wild early acclaim from critics—the kind of thing most actors would kill for. The show has pulled in a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes (at least as of right now), making it the highest-rated project Fanning has ever anchored. And that's saying something, considering her last big TV gig was The Great, which already had a 96% average.

What is Margo's Got Money Troubles?

This is the latest project from David E. Kelley, who's basically TV royalty at this point—think Boston Legal, Big Little Lies, The Lincoln Lawyer, and so on. The cast here goes for star power with Elle Fanning front and center, backed up by Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman, and Marcia Gay Harden. In other words, Apple cut no corners when it came to the talent budget.

What are critics actually saying?

• Gregory Nussen (ScreenRant) calls it 'sweet without being saccharine, optimistic without being unrealistic,' and says it nails the balance of quirky characters vs. story that actually makes sense.
• Ben Travers (IndieWire) gives credit to Kelley, Offerman, Fanning, and especially Pfeiffer for making the show work—and making the whole thing worth watching.
• Angie Han (The Hollywood Reporter) says the characters stick with you, and while the dynamics might be a little unusual, that's actually part of the draw. It's grounded, not outlandish.
• Jeff York (The Establishing Shot) describes it as 'fresh, fun, continually moving and incredibly uplifting,' but with the key point: it never crosses over into cheesy territory.

Where does this rank in Fanning's career?

Right now, Margo's Got Money Troubles is technically the best-reviewed thing Elle Fanning's ever done—at least, if you care about Rotten Tomatoes numbers (and let's face it, a lot of people do). Her previous TV highlight, Hulu's The Great, clocked in at 96%. Over in movies, her most critically-beloved is Sentimental Value with a 95% rating, so this new series blows even that out of the water—for now.

But is the 100% score really going to stick?

Let's be honest: that pristine 100% is based on 17 early reviews. Sure, that's not nothing, but as more critics get access to the episodes, it's almost guaranteed to dip a little. Still, bagging this kind of near-universal hype before the show even premieres (it drops April 15, 2026, in case you're counting the days) is impressive. The only thing left is to see whether real viewers feel the same way.

Bottom line: If you like star-packed ensemble shows where the writing doesn't treat you like an idiot, and you're curious to see Elle Fanning deliver her highest-rated performance yet, Margo's Got Money Troubles might need to go on your watchlist—at least to see what all the fuss is about.