**Ice Cream Man (2026), Eli Roth’s recent horror release, opened to overwhelmingly negative reviews that have anchored its Tomatometer in the high 20s.** Critics have uniformly cited weak performances, clunky tone, uninspired direction, and a failure to capitalize on its premise of an idyllic town descending into chaos, resulting in scores like Metacritic’s 34 and early RT tallies around 27–31% from roughly 100 reviews. The August 7 theatrical rollout triggered an immediate wave of pans from outlets including Screen Rant, IGN, and FandomWire, with little positive counter-momentum or audience-driven rebound evident so far. As additional reviews continue to post in the days after wide release, the score faces downward pressure unless a significant late surge materializes, though historical patterns for similar mid-tier horror titles suggest stabilization near current levels is more likely.