Negative Movie Reviews are Ruining the Business

A strange phenomenon has befallen the film industry in the modern age. Movie reviews are becoming increasingly pessimistic as the fashion turns towards cynicism amongst writers. Movie news written by fans on the internet is seen before articles published in the mainstream media (yes, I am aware of some hypocrisy at this point), meaning angry fans’ views are seen as more valid and taken more seriously. The writers can afford to keep articles more opinion based without the same fear of backlash from the film industry and that opinion seems to be almost invariably negative, encouraging moviegoers to feel pre-emptively disappointed in a film before they’ve even seen it. For the sake of the article, let’s call it the Cynicism Effect.

Filmmaking is an extremely expressive, not to mention expensive artform. Thousands of cast members and crew are involved in every production working their fingers to the bone and often travelling all over the planet to make the best movie they can with hundreds of millions of dollars in budget money in tow. After all this, having to stand in the face of staggering ingratitude amongst fans can make for a severely demoralising reception. Surely it makes one wonder how much longer filmmakers put up with it before they throw in the towel.

To name just one example, 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story carried a budget of $250 million. The movie following the adventures of a young Han Solo promised an adrenaline-fuelled thrill-ride full of subtle easter eggs not-so-subtle nods to the original trilogy… and it really delivered. Fans of the franchise boycotted the release claiming it was a “movie they never asked for”, most still angry over The Last Jedi for one reason or another. This astounding sense of self-entitlement is a direct result of the Cynicism Effect. Fans believe they are entitled to see what they’d like to see in their favourite film franchise’ rather than trusting experienced professional writers, directors, actors and producers to deliver.

The recent release Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is another great example of this phenomenon. Let’s be honest, the Jurassic Park franchise is a ridiculous series of films but guess what… Fans love them anyway! Who can argue! They’re all a little silly but the entertainment value is endless. They’re films that I personally can watch over and over and never tire of them. The new movie gave us exploding volcanoes, scary new genetic hybrids, great characters and the return of seasoned series veteran Jeff Goldblum in a cheeky but well-constructed cameo. Fans reacted by complaining about the unfeasible fictional science and even the unrealistic auction sales price of the dinosaurs!

It’s not all bad, though! Some fans are still fighting the good fight and haven’t let the pessimism infect them yet. Take to Tumblr and Twitter and often the exact opposite is true. Fans become completely absorbed in their favourite movie series’, favouring mere enjoyment of the movies rather than scepticism… and it’s a good thing too! Movies exist to be enjoyed, not to be torn apart and scrutinised by pedantic viewers.

I have a personal message for sufferers of the Cynicism Effect...

Learn to enjoy your movies! Learn to fully appreciate the work put in by the cast and crew! Obsessing over minute details like the science involved in the hypothetical cloning of dinosaurs or fictional stories not matching fictional canon in a universe set in a different era and galaxy only leads to misery, and most importantly, the fall of the silver screen! Save an industry… Don’t hate your movies, and if you do, you aren't earning the right to a better one by posting petitions and leaving vicious hurtful comments on official social media posts. Write a screenplay for the film you'd like to see and pitch it yourself by all means. Otherwise, allow the talented people of Hollywood to do their jobs without fear of backlash from people who expect to be able to despise movies so badly and still call themselves fans.