After actors win big at the awards shows, they tend to become pretty highly sought after, so it’s fun to watch what projects they choose to do next. Michael B. Jordan has a new movie out — his first since winning Best Actor at the Academy Awards — and it’s currently No. 1 on Netflix. However, critics are being much more, well, critical of Swapped than Netflix subscription holders, so let’s dig into what they’re all saying.
Swapped, an animated adventure comedy starring Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple, hit the 2026 Netflix schedule on May 1. The Oscar winner plays Ollie, a sea otter-like creature called a pookoo, who swaps bodies with Temple’s Ivy, who is a bird called a javan. Hilarity ensues … at least according to audiences, who collectively rated the movie at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ score, meanwhile, was at 71% as of this writing and had dropped into the 60th percentile at one point.
What Critics Are Saying About Michael B. Jordan’s Swapped
For David Ehrlich of IndieWire, a lot of the issue seems to lie within a script that’s powered by generic banter. The movie lacks ambition, and the story feels pilfered from other pre-existing movies. He gives it a C, writing:
Fast-paced as it is, the film is in low supply of the comic energy that keeps children engaged (the lack of musical numbers doesn’t help), and while its world is bright enough to work as a distracting bauble, kids will struggle to stay engaged long enough to get anything out of its message.
John Serba of Decider says it’s a “prime example of children’s films that underestimate their audiences’ intelligence.” Unfortunately one symptom of that is the poop joke. Serba says:
Among Swapped’s onslaught of wordswordswords is the line, ‘Turn me into a dung baby!’, accompanying a scene in which some javan camouflage our pookoo protag by smearing him with excrement. It’s supposed to steer predators away, but it also works to repel viewers who’ve grown weary of butt humor rampant in children’s entertainment.
Benjamin Lee of The Guardian says it might just be a case of bad timing — noting that Swapped was in development before Hoppers — but the popular Pixar flick seems like “a stone-cold classic in comparison” to this Skydance Animation offering. He gives it 2 out of 5 stars and says:
[Swapped] has far less on its mind and far less to offer anyone but the least demanding of younger viewers.
The critics make some good points, so that begs the question …
What Did Audiences Like About Swapped?
As noted by the critics, yes, the plot of Swapped is inevitably drawing comparisons to Hoppers, another 2026 movie release. However, viewers think there’s room enough for both, with Rotten Tomatoes comments including:
- “Swapped” is such a sweet, feel-good family movie. It’s fun and engaging, but also carries a beautiful message about empathy—learning to see life through someone else’s eyes and understanding their feelings. It’s simple, heartfelt, and leaves you with a warm reminder of what really matters. – Maryam N.
- The structure of the movie was perfect. The background information of each character was displayed at perfect timing to understand how they got where they are. – Trey G.
- Bro this MOVIEEEEE! Insane plot twist, insane climax, made me cry. The conflicts were so good. The chemistry and banter was good. ATEEEEE – Waniya S.
Oh yes, that plot twist. Apparently, it’s a biggie, because a lot of the audience reactions were primarily centered around it. See below:
- That plot twist?? I did NOT see that coming. I felt so betrayed, my jaw literally dropped. It’s not just entertaining. It actually makes you feel something. A must watch! – Aegi T.
- This is how you do a perfect plot-twist – Steve Z.
- What really stood out to me was the plot twist—it genuinely caught me off guard, I didn’t see it coming at all. – Victor R.
People praised the story and the gorgeous animation, and more than one said they had tears streaming down their faces. In the end, Braydan S. possibly said it best:
Ignore the critics. This is a really good movie and I really recommend you watch it with the whole family.
This is certainly an interesting project for Michael B. Jordan to follow his Oscar win with, but to be fair, both Swapped and Jordan’s The Thomas Crown Affair — a 2027 release on which MBJ serves as director, producer and star — were both in the works long before this year’s Oscars, so it remains to be seen where the actor takes his talents next.
In the meantime, you’ll have to decide for yourselves if you want to side with the moodier critics or believe the Rotten Tomatoes audience who made Swapped the No. 1 movie on Netflix.