🍅25%Tomatometer 🍿51%Popcornmeter
Incoming debuted on Netflix on August 23, 2024, to a 25% Tomatometer and a 38 on Metacritic. Critics dismissed it as a generic clone of Superbad and 1980s teen raunch-comedies.
Then it shot straight to #1 globally.
By its second week, Incoming topped Netflix's worldwide English-language film charts with 25.6 million hours watched and 16.9 million individual views. Across its initial three-week run, official Netflix transparency data logged nearly 50 million hours streamed.
The gap between what critics thought and what audiences did is the real story.
High School Chaos and Gross-Out Humor: Behind Netflix's Unlikely Smash
Directed by Dave and John Chernin (The Mick) in their feature directorial debut, Incoming follows four high school freshmen — Gus (Mason Thames), Tanner (Ramon Reed), Connor (Raphael Alejandro), and Yusuf (Bardia Seiri) — attempting to completely reinvent their social standing. The plan devolves into mayhem: a wild party, a fake drug deal, and an unintentionally intoxicated teacher.
Netflix acquired the film in November 2023 after production had already wrapped. Kaitlin Olson (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire, Mr. Robot) play the adult roles. Mason Thames, who starred in The Black Phone (2022), leads the freshman group.
Editorial note: A 25% Tomatometer does not mean a movie failed. It means it failed to impress critics. The 32.8 million households who streamed Incoming were looking for exactly what they got — an R-rated escalation of high school embarrassment in the Superbad tradition.
49.7 Million Hours Watched: The Official Streaming Numbers
From Netflix's own weekly Top 10 transparency data:
| Week | Global rank | Hours viewed | Views |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19–25, 2024 | #2 | 15.0M | 9.9M |
| Aug 26–Sep 1, 2024 | #1 | 25.6M | 16.9M |
| Sep 2–8, 2024 | #5 | 9.1M | 6.0M |
Three weeks in the global Top 10. Peak at #1. Total: approximately 49.7 million hours watched and 32.8 million views. These are Netflix's own published figures, not estimates.
A film with a 25% Tomatometer reaching #1 globally in its second week is not a common outcome. It means the audience watching it is simply not the audience that reviewed it.
The Critical Backlash vs. The Friday Night Algorithm Effect
Critics evaluate teen comedies against Superbad, Booksmart, Eighth Grade — films that use the genre to say something real about adolescence. Incoming makes no attempt at emotional resonance. It is built as an escalating farce of teenage humiliation, and nothing else.
That is also a description of what a large number of people want from Netflix on a Friday night.
The platform's recommendation algorithm does not serve Incoming to critics. It serves it to subscribers who watched Superbad in their twenties and want to feel 16 again for 99 minutes. Those viewers found exactly what they came for, watched to completion in significant numbers, and the chart reflected it.
Why the Adult Cast Is the Film's Secret Weapon
Kaitlin Olson has spent two decades on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia playing a character who commits fully to chaos. Bobby Cannavale won an Emmy for Boardwalk Empire and has also appeared in Mr. Robot. Neither has any interest in playing it safe in Incoming, and that commitment gives the film's more absurdist sequences the energy they need.
Mason Thames carries the emotional anchor of the film — the character the audience roots for. His work in The Black Phone required sustained dread under pressure. Here he is running a completely different frequency: social anxiety, awkward desire, and the specific humiliation of freshman year. The tonal shift works.
Will Netflix Greenlight Incoming 2? Here's What We Know
Fan demand for a sequel has been loud enough that cast member Raphael Alejandro (Connor) was asked about it directly. In an interview with The Direct, he said: "I mean, that'd be cool. I can't really discuss too much about a potential sequel. Just stay tuned, guys."
In a separate part of the same interview he added: "I've been hearing a lot of support for maybe a movie two, which is, you know, really happy as an actor."
That is the full extent of what exists on record. One cast member — not the lead — saying "stay tuned" and acknowledging fan support. No announcement from Netflix. No quotes from directors Dave or John Chernin. No quotes from Mason Thames, Kaitlin Olson, or Bobby Cannavale. Netflix has not confirmed a sequel is in development.
The viewership numbers make a sequel plausible. Whether Netflix greenlit it is not publicly known.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Incoming about? Four high school freshmen attempt to reinvent themselves during their first week of high school. The plan leads to an out-of-control party, a fake drug deal, and an accidentally intoxicated teacher. Directed by Dave and John Chernin, starring Mason Thames, Kaitlin Olson, and Bobby Cannavale.
Where can I watch Incoming? Incoming is available exclusively on Netflix worldwide.
What is Incoming's Rotten Tomatoes score? 25% Tomatometer (28 critic reviews) and 51% Popcornmeter audience score.
How many people watched Incoming on Netflix? According to Netflix's official weekly transparency data, Incoming was watched for approximately 49.7 million hours in its first three weeks — peaking at #1 globally in week two with 25.6 million hours and 16.9 million views in a single week.
Is Incoming appropriate for teenagers? The film is Rated R by the MPAA for drug use and drinking, sexual content, pervasive language, some violence, and brief nudity — all involving teens.
Will there be an Incoming 2? No sequel has been officially confirmed by Netflix or the filmmakers. Cast member Raphael Alejandro told The Direct he has heard fan support and said "stay tuned" — but no greenlight or active development has been announced.
Who stars in Incoming? Mason Thames (Gus), Ramon Reed (Tanner), Raphael Alejandro (Connor), and Bardia Seiri (Yusuf) play the four freshmen. Kaitlin Olson and Bobby Cannavale play the adult supporting roles.