Though not well-received at the time of its release, aJane Fondacomedy is finding some renewed success on streaming. After a string of supporting roles on both the big screen and on stage, Fonda broke out on screen withCat Ballouand theMarlon Brando-led dramaThe Chasein the mid ’60s. Shortly thereafter, she found some of her most iconic roles to date, including thecult classic sci-fi adventureBarbarellaand her Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning turns inThey Shoot Horses, Don’t They?,Klute,Julia,Coming Home,The China Syndrome,On Golden PondandThe Morning After.
Despite being an iconic star throughout the ’80s,Fonda memorably retired from acting for 15 years, partly due to her marriage to Ted Turner, as well as her lack of further interest in the industry. She would, however, return to acting in the mid 2000s and steadily increase her output from there, ranging from roles in Lee Daniels' historical dramaThe Butlerto theacclaimed Netflix comedy seriesGrace and Frankie, which reunited her with longtime friend and frequent collaborator Lily Tomlin. Her first movie back, however, remains an interesting outlier and one Fonda looks back on fondly.
Monster-In-Law Is Climbing Streaming Charts
Fonda’s Career-Rebooting Comedy Wasn’t Well-Loved On Its Original Release
Before finding later acclaim withThe NewsroomandGrace and Frankie, Fonda first returned to the acting world withMonster-in-Law, which is now finding some new streaming success. The two-time Oscar winner starred in the comedy alongside Jennifer Lopez as the controlling mother of a handsome doctor who acts as a major hurdle in Lopez’s growing relationship with him. Helmed byLegally Blonde’s Robert Luketic,Monster-in-Lawwas a critical misfire upon its release,but a box office smash, grossing over $155 million against its $43 million production budget.
Now, nearly 20 years after its release,Monster-in-Lawis climbingHulu’s streaming charts. At the time of writing, Fonda and Lopez’s comedy sits in the No. 15 spot on the streamer’s Top 15, coming in just behind fellow comedyThe Watchat No. 14. The rest of the Top 15 is largely composed of some of Pixar’s biggest releases, withRatatouilleat No. 2,Finding Nemoat No. 3,The Incrediblesat No. 5,WALL-Eat No. 6,Upat No. 12 andInside Outat No. 13, and fellow Disney franchiseAvatarat No. 2
Hulu’s Top 15 chart does, however, include a variety of non-Disney-owned blockbuster and mid-budget releases, including the Nicolas Cage-ledLonglegsat No. 4, Emile Hirsch’sDead Moneyat No. 7, the two-time Oscar-winning dramedyThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouriat No. 8, Tom Cruise’sThe Mummyat No. 9, Emma Stone’sThe Helpat No. 10, and the sci-fi thrillerThings Will Be Differentat No. 11.
Our Take On Monster-In-Law’s Renewed Streaming Success
Lopez’s Recent Acting Surge & A Feel-Good Comedy Are Helpful Factors
If one were just to look atMonster-in-Law’s reception, it might come as something of a surprise thatFonda and Lopez’s comedyis climbing the charts the way it is. Critics were none too enthused with the movie at the time, awarding it a 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and while audiences were generally kinder to it,it still only sits at a 55% rating from viewers on the review aggregate, thus landing it two Rotten ratings on the platform.
Jane Fonda’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked
Jane Fonda received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 SAG Awards, having cemented herself in many movies as one of Hollywood’s best actors.
Even still, there are certainly a number of reasons whyMonster-in-Law’s renewed streaming success makes sense.Lopez remains a draw for pretty much any movie,but particularly as the past few years have seen her begin to ramp back up her film acting career, with everything from her Netflix action-thrillerThe Mother, which is the platform’s sixth-most watched movie, to the recently released sports dramaUnstoppableeither finding critical or viewership success.
The other likely reason whyMonster-in-Lawis regaining ground in the world of streaming is that audiences generally enjoy a lighthearted comedy. As predictable as it may be criticized for, the movie packs enough of a feel-good romance at the heart of its broadly enjoyable comedy that makes it the perfect movie for people looking for something to watch that they can relax with.
Monster-in-Law
Cast
After years of disastrous dates looking for her ideal partner, Charlotte falls in love with the perfect man, Kevin. The problem is his mother, who has just been fired from her job as anchorwoman of a national network newspaper and decides to dedicate herself to the task of getting in the way of the couple for fear that her son will distance himself after he gets married.
