BBC iPlayer now streaming 'awful' Leonard DiCaprio thriller that was panned by critics

A Leonardo DiCaprio film which received scathing reviews upon its release is now available to stream for free.

Early on in his career, the 50-year-old actor, who has become one of the industry's biggest names, experienced a minor setback. After the success of his role in Titanic in 1997, he went on to star in The Beach in 2000, which didn't fare as well with critics.

This psychological thriller film, which follows an adventurous young American traveller named Richard, was directed by the Oscar winner Danny Boyle.

Richard receives a map to the mystical 'The Beach', which promises to be a tropical paradise, and embarks on a journey there with a French couple. Upon arrival, he soon discovers that this hidden gem is far from perfect.

The film, which is based on a bestselling novel with the same name by author Alexander Garland, can now be watched on BBC iPlayer at no cost, reports .

However, when it was released, many critics, including the late film critic Roger Ebert, were left unimpressed, describing The Beach as 'confused', a sentiment echoed by viewers.

In his review, Ebert noted: "Watching The Beach is like experiencing a script conference where only sequences are discussed-never the whole film.

"What is it about, anyway? There are the elements here for a romantic triangle, for a man-against-the-jungle drama, for a microcosm-of-civilization parable or for a cautionary lesson about trying to be innocent in a cruel world."

The film was panned by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, who described it as "unfocused and muddled," and gave it a dismal 21 per cent rating. However, viewers were slightly more forgiving, awarding it a 57 per cent score.

Despite the higher user rating, the majority of reviews on the platform were negative.

One viewer expressed their disappointment, saying: "I loved Leo's acting, but this movie was painful to watch, awful plot annoying characters, plot holes. Could have been better."

Another was even more blunt, writing: "The worst movie I have seen this year. Totally misses the point of the book, and does not do justice to how great the book is." A third lamented: "Need the last 2 hours of my life back."

However, not all feedback was negative. Some audience members found The Beach enjoyable.

"A fantastic watch if you like drama and romance. Has a sense of danger to it that keeps you watching and on edge. This film is underrated and tends to fly under the radar. Give it a chance," one fan argued.

The Beach is streaming now on BBC iPlayer. The film is also available to stream on Disney+.