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The 2015 film “Pixels,” starring Adam Sandler, was a certified sci-fi flop upon release. Critics panned the video game-inspired comedy for dumb Sandler moments and being “casually sexist” (via Variety). The movie sat at a devastating 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes after its opening weekend, and it only managed to inch up to 18% over time. However, after 11 years, this box office bomb is miraculously finding a new lease on life in the streaming world.
“Pixels” is currently streaming on the free-to-watch service Tubi. At the time of this writing, “Pixels” is actually listed fairly high among Tubi’s “Most Popular” titles. It’s worth noting that Tubi isn’t the most-watched free TV streaming service, but the platform did reach 110 million monthly active users in August 2026. This can only mean that a startling number of people have been watching or rewatching that decade-old Sandler dud. It’s clear that “Pixels” might actually deserve a place on the list of awful sci-fi movies that are an absolute blast to watch.
A fun video game comedy for casual viewing
On paper, the premise of “Pixels” should appeal greatly to retro video games fans. A race of sci-fi aliens intercepts a series of video feeds of classic arcade games including “Pac-Man” and “Space Invaders” and interprets them as a declaration of war from Earth. The aliens launch an assault, using those video games as the model for their attack. A cast of human characters — played by Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, and other well-known names — must tap into their childhood knowledge of arcade games to overcome the threat.
Many of the games referenced in “Pixels” have timeless appeal and genuine historical value for gamers, which might explain why many viewers would consider it to be a charming movie to this day. It’s hard to call it a serious homage, and the review scores suggest that it was never worth paying to see, but “Pixels” can certainly be enjoyable if you watch it casually on a free service like Tubi.
When Peter Sobczynski reviewed “Pixels” for the Roger Ebert website, he summarized his scathing thoughts by saying, “If you are old enough to feel nostalgic about playing ‘Donkey Kong’ in the arcade, you are probably too old for an Adam Sandler film.” That said, watching bad movies can be enormously fun in its own right. If you are in the mood for something more universally acclaimed, though, one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time can be streamed for free on Tubi as well.
