Are reviewers culture snobs? Humanity faces climate catastrophe yet our leaders refuse to take it seriously. A star-studded film tackles this head on. So why is it being slammed?
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Don't Look Up sparks war on film critics
Are reviewers culture snobs? Humanity faces climate catastrophe yet our leaders refuse to take it seriously. A star-studded film tackles this head on. So why is it being slammed?
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Astronomers discover a comet heading towards Earth. They try to warn the public. But no-one listens. Earth faces its destruction.
This is the plot of Don't Look Up, a new comedy disaster movie. It is a satireA genre of art which ridicules the shortcomings and hypocrisies of society. about climate change and how people in power fail to take it seriously.
The public has loved it. It has been streamed for 321,520,000 hours, making it the second-most successful film ever on Netflix.
But reviewers are not convinced. On Rotten Tomatoes it currently has a rating of 54%. Audiences gave it a score of 78%.
Perhaps critics are simply out of touch. It would not be the first time. Reviewers slammed blockbusters like FlashdanceA 1983 American romantic comedy. Critic Roger Ebert gave it 1.5 stars. and Suicide SquadA 2016 superhero film. Though it set new box office records, it has a 26% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.. Meanwhile, they praised unknown films that many find boring.
Some believe critics are snobs. Stephen King has said book critics are "out of touch". Others think they are failed artists. John Cleese says they are just "jealous".
This is rarely true. TS EliotThe initials stand for Thomas Stearns. Born in the US, Eliot was one of the most influential figures in 20th-Century literature. was not just a poet; he reviewed books too. The French New WaveA film movement that emerged in late 1950s Paris. Its directors, many of whom began as critics, had an innovative, experimental approach to filmmaking that proved internationally influential. was started by critics who started making their own films.
Some say we should trust critics as experts. We trust doctors to tell us what is wrong with us. Why not trust critics to tell us about books and films?
It is true that critics and audiences agree less and less. A recent study found a growing gap in opinions. If this keeps growing, people might soon be asking if it is worth reading reviews at all.
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Are reviewers culture snobs?
Yes: Don't Look Up might not be the greatest film ever made. But its message is an important one. If the critics can't see that, they should not give us advice.
No: A critic's job is to decide whether a film is a good work of art. To claim that Don't Look Up is a good film because of its message is to fail as a critic.
Or...?: Someone who devotes their entire life writing about something is always going to be more informed than someone who does not. Critics have a right to be a bit snobbish.
Keywords
Satire - A genre of art which ridicules the shortcomings and hypocrisies of society.
Flashdance - A 1983 American romantic comedy. Critic Roger Ebert gave it 1.5 stars.
Suicide Squad - A 2016 superhero film. Though it set new box office records, it has a 26% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
TS Eliot - The initials stand for Thomas Stearns. Born in the US, Eliot was one of the most influential figures in 20th-Century literature.
French New Wave - A film movement that emerged in late 1950s Paris. Its directors, many of whom began as critics, had an innovative, experimental approach to filmmaking that proved internationally influential.
Don’t Look Up sparks war on film critics
© Netflix Glossary
Satire - A genre of art which ridicules the shortcomings and hypocrisies of society.
Flashdance - A 1983 American romantic comedy. Critic Roger Ebert gave it 1.5 stars.
Suicide Squad - A 2016 superhero film. Though it set new box office records, it has a 26% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
TS Eliot - The initials stand for Thomas Stearns. Born in the US, Eliot was one of the most influential figures in 20th-Century literature.
French New Wave - A film movement that emerged in late 1950s Paris. Its directors, many of whom began as critics, had an innovative, experimental approach to filmmaking that proved internationally influential.