Will Ferrell is back on the small screen for the first time in five years, but his much-anticipated Netflix series The Hawk isn't exactly scoring a hole-in-one with critics. The golf dramedy, which dropped this week, has earned a career-low 30% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews—a surprising misfire for a star known for sports comedies like Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory.
In The Hawk, Ferrell plays Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins, a former PGA Tour champion who peaked in 2004 before a crushing loss to his rival, Golden Fisk (Luke Wilson), sent his career into a tailspin. Two decades later, Lonnie is determined to make one last run at glory, but he faces new obstacles—including his own son, Lance (Jimmy Tatro), who has become golf's hottest young star. The series, co-created by Ferrell, Harper Steele, and Chris Henchy, aims for a Ted Lasso-style blend of comedy and heartfelt drama.
Critics have been mixed, to say the least. Collider's Jessica Toomer gave it a 7/10, praising Ferrell, Molly Shannon, and Fortune Feimster, and noting that while it doesn't reach the heights of Talladega Nights, "when it's fun, it's really fun." On the other end, ScreenRant's Ben Gibbons handed out a 4/10, criticizing the show's tone as stuck "between the dramatic and the overtly obnoxiously comical." CBR's Rachel Leishman landed in the middle with a 6/10, saying it still has moments that "remind you why Ferrell is one of the funniest people out there."
Audience scores aren't available yet, but Netflix is betting big on The Hawk. The streamer has rolled out an aggressive promo campaign, including Ferrell, Tatro, and Wilson providing comedic commentary during the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, and the trio appearing as the first guests on the new Hot Ones: Extra Heat spin-off. Ferrell even embarked on an East Coast bus tour to hype the series. The show is being marketed as Season 1, not a miniseries, suggesting Netflix is hoping for a long run.
If a second season happens, the cast already has ideas. In an interview with Collider, Feimster and Tatro discussed how their characters—Sam and Lance—might team up against Lonnie. Tatro mused, "I think Sam and Lance are so on opposite sides of the spectrum that it might end up actually working in a weird way." Feimster added she'd love to "get the opportunity to explore what these characters could do."
For now, The Hawk is streaming on Netflix. If you're looking for other shows to binge, check out our list of 3 Must-Binge Netflix Shows This July 18 or dive into Netflix Shows With Shocking Plot Twists. And for a deeper look at Ferrell's latest, read our full review: Will Ferrell's 'The Hawk' Is a Wild, Uneven Golf Comedy Worth Watching.
