Film criticism and debate are two fundamental areas tied to any film, good or bad. No matter how critically panned or loved a film is, there is an audience who loves and hates every film. As Cinema Sins has pointed out countless times over the years, no movie is without sin.
Obviously, there is a difference between humorous criticism, actual critiques, and flat-out being a troll. It’s never healthy to be a troll or rude to someone else about a specific film. Still, it is perfectly healthy and okay for you to hate a film, no matter how beloved it might be. Why, you ask? Let’s find out.
Everyone Has An Opinion
The most apparent answer to why it’s okay to hate any movie has to do with the notion of opinions. Every person has a valuable opinion, and that goes with films as well. What’s most important is every individual expresses their opinion in an honest manner. It doesn’t benefit anyone if someone hates or loves a movie for no real reason other than to express emotion.
On the one hand, critics are there to be overly critical of a film, with many thinking that should be the only avenue for negatively discussing a film. The truth is, every person’s opinion is valuable to a film, regardless of how that person expresses their opinion. Loved, hated, and neutral feelings toward a film are worthy for any genre and any film.
Some Films Aren’t Meant for Everyone
Besides the broad generalization that opinions are helpful in any circumstance, there is also the point that films aren’t meant for everyone. For example, iconic and legendary director and writer Martin Scorsese got a lot of heat for stating he doesn’t care for superhero films all that much.
From a mainstream perspective, it’s essentially blasphemy to talk ill of any Marvel film. Even if you feel Scorsese’s comments were elitist, it goes back to the idea that some films aren’t meant for everyone. People shouldn’t be surprised that a guy from the New Hollywood era isn’t interested in superhero films, just like a hardcore comic book fan might not appreciate GoodFellas (1990).
You Don’t Have to Follow Public Appeal
Whenever a film reaches widespread critical acclaim, many people feel obligated to love that specific film. Although it’s more likely someone will enjoy a film that’s critically acclaimed than one that’s panned, no one should feel obligated to follow public appeal. People can like and dislike what they want.
With that being said, people shouldn’t solely hate a film just because everyone likes it. For example, plenty of people solely hate the Star Wars franchise because of how popular it is. Sure, not every Star Wars flick is excellent, but the franchise is as massive as it is for a reason.
Criticism Benefits Filmmaking
The most practical reason why hating a film is okay is because criticism benefits filmmaking. There are certainly filmmakers who have an arduous time with any form of criticism, but for the most part, healthy criticism can benefit their future flick. Now, this doesn’t mean you should flood a small indie YouTube film with an array of negativity.
No one deserves a vast array of negativity. Criticism should be done in a healthy capacity instead of making filmmakers and actors feel bad for what they made. There are even some popular and well-known critics who hate films to make a headline. Trolling and hating for headlines is never helpful. There is also benefit in friends debating films amongst each other. No matter how you view it, it’s okay for you to hate a film.
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