A noughties comedy that was slated by critics is now making waves on Netflix’s most-watched charts, two decades after its release.

Accepted, which premiered in 2006, may have disappointed viewers at the time, but it appears to have found its audience years later.

The film centres around Bartleby Gaines, a high school graduate who faces rejection from every university he applies to. In an attempt to deceive his parents, Bartleby, with the help of his friends, fabricates a fake university on an old site near his hometown.

As more students find themselves rejected by their preferred universities, they start applying to the fictional South Harmon Institute of Technology, forcing Bartleby to run the establishment as a legitimate school.

The ensemble also included Blake Lively (It Ends with Us), Adam Herschman (Cobra Kai) and Columbus Short (Scandal). Despite its star-studded line-up and quirky plot, Accepted failed to win over critics upon its release.

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes delivered a harsh 38% verdict on the comedy. Their assessment concluded: “Like its characters who aren’t able to meet their potential, Accepted’s inconsistent and ridiculous plot gets annoying, despite a few laughs.”

However, everyday cinema-goers were far more forgiving, awarding it a respectable 72% score alongside numerous enthusiastic testimonials.

One fan wrote: “I strongly urge people to give this movie a shot. I’ve watched it at least 10-15 times which I don’t normally do. Easy 5 star.”

A second viewer agreed: “This just became my new favourite movie. It’s a must see. The message of the movie is incredibly true and meaningful, but it’s hilarious at the same time.

“It also has an amazing cast, all of them. The characters are written very well and go perfectly with each actor cast for each part.”

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Another admirer branded the comedy “legendary”, whilst a final enthusiastic viewer declared: “The single funniest movie I’ve ever seen laughed all the way through.”

Accepted is streaming now on Netflix