For the entirety of the 2010s, Adam Sandler has been known for making objectively horrible movies. In fact, since the relative success of Funny People—his last semi-serious role in 2010—Adam Sandler movies have an average of about 23 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. That's very bad. That's a lower percentage than Paul Blart: Mall Cop, a film that Sandler produced.

And this is an unfortunate trend, considering we know—with Reign Over Me and Punch-Drunk Love serving as proof—Sandler is capable of quality acting.

So, it's nice to see that he's—at least for a moment—back in the good graces of critics. His new Netflix movie, The Meyerowitz Stories, was given a four-minute standing ovation this week at the Cannes Film Festival. And this is after the streaming service got to a rocky start at the film festival. The Meyerowitz Stories stars Sandler as Danny, an unimpressive son of sculptor Harold Meyerowitz (Dustin Hoffman), who is trying to win favor with their aging father.

The success of the film is thanks—in large part—to its writer and director Noah Baumbach, whose The Squid and the Whale earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. While early reviews have been glowing, critics have specifically called out Sandler himself, who appears alongside Hoffman, Ben Stiller, and Emma Thompson. Variety called The Meyerowitz Stories "a chatty New York comedy featuring the best role in 15 years for Adam Sandler," Vulture said the actor has "not been this well utilized since Punch-Drunk Love," and Time said the move proves "that there's a good Adam Sandler."

The Chicago Tribune even said Sandler could be an early contender for an Oscar—a new high point for the actor who had received praise for Punch-Drunk Love.

For at least a very brief moment, the Good Sandler is back—but keep in mind this year he has also released Sandy Wexler, a Netflix comedy with 28 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Matt Miller Culture Editor Matt is the Culture Editor at Esquire where he covers music, movies, books, and TV—with an emphasis on all things Star Wars, Marvel, and Game of Thrones.

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