Logan Marshall-Green Horror Film Ends Director Mike P. Nelson's Eight-Year Fresh Rating Streak
Director Mike P. Nelson's new horror thriller Beware Boiúna, starring Yellowstone actor Logan Marshall-Green, has become his first film to receive a "Rotten" Rotten Tomatoes score in eight years. The creature feature, which follows a group of humanitarians being hunted in the Amazon rainforest, earned a 56% approval rating from critics, indicating a divided reception. This marks the first critically unfavorable film from Nelson since his directorial debut in 2018.
Director Mike P. Nelson has maintained an impressive critical track record since his 2018 feature debut, with three consecutive films earning favorable reviews before this latest release. The Domestics achieved a perfect critical score, while his subsequent projects—a Wrong Turn reimagining and a Silent Night, Deadly Night reboot—both crossed the Fresh threshold despite mixed audience responses. Beware Boiúna represents a significant shift in this pattern, marking the first time critics have collectively rejected one of his films.
The Amazon-set thriller features a cast including Yellowstone's Logan Marshall-Green alongside Fear Street and Happy Death Day alumni. Though the film's 56% score places it in Rotten territory, critics have noted Nelson's effective use of restraint in depicting the creature, drawing comparisons to Spielberg's Jaws for its strategic withholding of visual information.
This development may influence perceptions of Nelson's directorial capabilities and could affect audience expectations for his future projects. The score's proximity to the Fresh threshold suggests critical reception remains uncertain and subject to change. For the horror genre more broadly, the film's mixed critical response reflects ongoing debates about creature-feature storytelling. Industry observers may monitor whether this represents a temporary setback or signals shifting critical attitudes toward Nelson's filmmaking approach.