Films Fuel Feedback: On Movie Critics

Lyla Kelly, copy editor

With the growing connection between cinema and social media, individuals on certain platforms take pride in their takes, making their opinions and perspectives known. The rise in debates and discussions on cinema has caused a separation between moviegoers: casual enjoyers and self-acclaimed film professionals. 

In the movie and film industry, there is pressure to produce the next best film, one that will win awards, gain popularity and bring in revenue. Due to those goals, there is an onslaught of releases that either deserve praise or deserve to withdraw from the theaters altogether. The hit-or-miss culture has been an ongoing issue, but the question regards whether the resulting feedback is subjective or objective.  

Certain theater releases may not be inherently good or bad, with the decision laying in individual audience members; however, the quality of the work can be debated, with some plots and characters executed better than other movies. Yet, ‘lesser’ quality may not take away from the enjoyable experience of a film. Social media seems to lack this nuance, with some users deciding that an inherently less complex story equals a terrible movie, leading to the title of ‘movie snob’. The same can be said in the reverse, with some believing that more seemingly detailed productions are lackluster, confusing or falling short of expectations. For example, ‘Oppenheimer’, released in the summer of 2023, gained a lot of attention and popularity, so much so that it can be considered overrated by some. Comparatively, there are many films that are better or more enjoyable. 

A large group of the decided film experts claims that the ‘lesser’ or less serious movies do not have the claim of cinema, despite some enjoyment. This stems from a superiority complex-adjacent, one that believes that there is a correlation between intelligence and favorite movies. Some are only produced for enjoyment and whimsy, rather than a deep, full-scale analysis of deciphering symbols and meaning. The scale of lacking those factors does not determine the quality or popularity of a story but relies on individual opinion and mindset. For example, the peak cinema of ‘Cars 2’ follows a character struggling with friendships and identity. But should it be discredited due to the animation, audience or initial message? 

On the other hand, more serious movie watchers may enjoy the smaller details that create the deeper, meaningful experience. Important topics, visually interesting cinematography and complex characters are significant factors to a film and create layers to a movie. Whether enjoyment of this genre does stem from a superiority complex, or a true love of analysis and thought, judgement from the opposite audience group is inevitable.  

“I don’t think movies are automatically better just because of style or cast,” said junior Claire Daunais. “Those things definitely help, though. Mostly it depends on the writing and how everything fits together.”