Netflix’s ambitiously flawed new adventure bamboozles the Top 10 in 78 countries

A great deal of Netflix’s original content can generously be described as forgettable, but the platform’s semi-regular forays into interactive storytelling have at least offered plenty of ambition, with Kaleidoscope the latest project that allows subscribers to decide how the story plays out.

Marking a huge step up from the likes of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs The Reverend, Bear Gryll’s You Vs. Wild and others, the blockbuster-sized series boasts slick production values, Ridley Scott as an executive producer, and a cast that includes Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, Paz Vega, Jai Courtney, Tati Gabrielle, and more.

Unfolding over a quarter of a century, the anthology’s eight episodes can be played in any order, which theoretically offers plenty of rewatchability given that you never have to see things unfold in the same way twice. Revolving around a team of thieves seeking to crack an impossible vault to secure the heist of a lifetime, it sounds like fun-filled choose your adventure entertainment.

Was it a success, though? Well, a 20 percent Rotten Tomatoes score would say no, but a 75 percent user rating disagrees. The proof is in the viewing figures, to be fair, and on that front Kaleidoscope has flown out of the traps.

Per FlixPatrol, the intriguing-if-flawed experiment has cracked the Top 10 in 78 countries, and reached number one in the United States, so the signs are encouraging that people are willing to give it a try. Then again, we’ll have to wait and see if the algorithm deems it successful enough to warrant more tinkering with the formula in the future.