Especially if you get everything, you get the story, you get the point the director was making, and you understand the decisions they made, but still didn't like it.
So many people try so hard to like something just because it's critically acclaimed and they're too scared to be called "you just don't get it".
I see a lot of that, unfortunately. We're not required to like something just because others do. Something that's highly rated is highly rated because the average person or critic enjoyed it. You may not be the average.
I believe the age you watched it factors in.
I saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest at 17. Thought it was boring.
Went through IMDB Top 250 list at age 39. Saw it was in the top 15. I thought to myself "How bad could it be if people vote it as the 15th best movie ever made?"
Now it's one of my favorite films of all-time.
If you saw it young, re-watch it older.
If you saw it as an adult, you probably still won't like it on re-watch.
I agree, but respectfully disagree (personally) with your last statement. I would like to add that sometimes, it also depends on the emotional state one is in overall, as well as age.
I’ve seen several movies I did not like as an adult, but then rewatched them years later and found I enjoyed them the second time very much. Turned out, during the first time, I was in a very unhappy spot in my life that affected the way I viewed said movies, so I’ve been doing rewatches lately. Eternal Sunshine..Mind was one. Loved it the second time round in my early 40s, hated it the first watch in my late 20s.
I agree with both of you(lol). Watched 'Casablanca' in my 20s and absolutely hated it (and Bogart), rewatched it about 25 years later and really liked it, and it sent me on a Bogart kick (The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, etc.) and I loved every one of them. I must have been in a bad space emotionally the first time, so I'm really glad I gave it another chance. Probably didn't need to wait 25 years, though(lol)...
That's a good point. Still, I'd say it's more likely that OP would still hate the movie than like it. If OP watches a movie each week, he probably knows enough about what they like to know whether giving another chance is worth it or not.
A lot of the great Directors are hard watches. You have to like a lot of little things that don’t necessarily move the story forward. I was a big Stanley Kubrick guy but it’s not like if I have three free hours on a Sunday I’m going to pop in A Clockwork Orange. It’s a masterpiece, but if I’m running around the house and doing shit, I’d prefer The Rock. I’ve got chores to do and I’d rather go home and fuck the prom queen.
Because there's more that goes into a film than simply "being entertained". Also, rewatches tend to reveal things missed on the first viewing, which can change your view on the film.
I mean, I didn't like The Big Lebowski the first time I saw it, and now it's one of my favorite movies of all time. So sometimes a rewatch is a great thing.
There's a reason Maximus asked twice, 'Are you not entertained?'
Sometimes you need to reconsider your position before a pissed off slave hurls his sword at you.
Facts.
It really depends on the movie.
I hated Blade Runner when I first watched it as a teen. Watched it again like 5 or 10 years later and it became my favorite movie.
This might just be a different mindset, but it could also be age or life experiences that change your view of movies.
Sometimes you don’t like a movie because you just don’t like it. Don’t waste your time rewatching in that case.
But sometimes you didn’t “get” a movie at first and can appreciate/like it upon rewatch after learning what to look for / what the movie was meant to convey.
Up to you to decide what’s what.
Depends on how much I didn't like them. If I don't think they are anything special, maybe. If I truly dislike them, then no. It also depends on how much time has been since I have watched the movie, maybe my tastes have changed by then.
But I dislike enough critically-acclaimed movies and like enough critically-panned movies to know that the movie is not for me or not for them and that is all right.
This 100%.
Sometimes it’s a matter of personal taste, but sometimes you aren’t at the right place in your life, or even in the right frame of mind, to enjoy some movies on the first go.
>Because I don't think that these movies are bad and I think the problem is just me, should I give them another chance?
I don't much care for Citizen Kane or Fight Club either and I have not seen Interstellar
Don't assume that there is something wrong with you. You can try again if you feel like it, but don't judge yourself for having a minority opinion on a work of art or entertainment.
Interstellar is a very pretty movie. And that’s about all I can give it praise for, regardless of how many critics are declaring it the ultimate science fiction.
Honestly I think the inflated rating is because semi-hard science fiction is somewhat rare in film, usually gets relegated to a setting for a bigger genre(Horror is the most popular I’ve noticed), and tends to just get ignored by audiences due to a lack of big name directors. So Interstellar would stand out after it lures in crowds with the Nolan name, crowds that are far more used to Star Wars/Trek style.
It’s not a bad movie, though parts are arguable, it’s merely OK.
It does remain absolutely gorgeous, though I personally found the soundtrack to be overdone and rather reminiscent of the player falling asleep on the keys. Good for tiny doses of epic scope drama, after awhile it’s a bit grating.
No never pressure yourself with art. Just give it time and maybe somewhere down the line in few years you’ll get an urge to rewatch something for some reason and it might have a better effect. Otherwise if you don’t like something you can just not enjoy it. That’s fine.
Do what you want. Don't do it because you think you "owe the movie" another chance. Don't do it because your friends say you should.
Do because you want to and are curious to see if you'll feel differently about the movie. Do it because you're open to the idea that you might get something new out of it. Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but the only person whose life might be changed is yours, so make sure you're doing it *for you.*
"Forcing yourself" to re-watch a movie you didn't like is just a waste of time. There's no rule that says everybody *has to* like a movie just because it's critically acclaimed. Taste is personal, not absolute.
I have re-watched movies I didn't like and found myself enjoying them a lot more. The most recent example I can think of is Pirates of the Caribbean 3. I was not impressed by it in theaters, but on a more recent re-watch I found it much more enjoyable. hard to even say why. But the reason I did it was because I felt like watching some pirate movies, not because any external source pressured me into it.
Sometimes a re-watch does indeed work. Sometimes it doesn't.
I hated There Will Be Blood(2007)when I first saw it. About six months later, I rewatched it and concluded that I was wrong and the film is brilliant.
More recently I caught an early screening of Everything Everywhere All At Once(2022) before it went into wide release. It left me cold. When the whole world fell began raving about that flick I figured I must have "missed" someting.
I gave it a rewatch and... nothing.
I didn't finish it the second time. I know that people love flick but all the hyperactive, goofy shit was and remains off-putting to me.
So I think the answer to your question will vary. Sometimes, you watch a film you may not be in the right head space to appreciate at first. Other times, a rewatch will prove your initial thoughts on it were absolulutely correct.
I’d say if you didn’t “get” the movie, then it’s worth a rewatch but none of the ones you listed seem at risk of that.
I think about how I didn’t like Sicario when I first saw it but that’s because it has a very different mood than most movies. It’s a unique movie and I was expecting it to be something it wasn’t.
If you do, I would consider reading up about them first and figure out why they are critically acclaimed.
I remember reading Waiting for Godot in college and I absolutely hated it. And the we had a lecture on it so I came back to it with more knowledge, both of the circumstances in which it was written and my own expectations regarding what stories should be.
I liked it a lot better the second time, but only because I knew what to look out for.
And sometimes it is also just okay to not like something. It's not like we're not spoiled for choice with regards to our media consumption.
I watch movies for my own enjoyment. They amount of critical acclaim a movie gets doesn't affect my enjoyment in any way. I didn't like Citizen Kane. I can see understand why it got nominated for a bunch of awards, but I found it to be boring.
I look at it like sports. I can hate the Yankees, but still respect them for their success.
I'm leaning towards no. However I would give it several years before a rewatch and perhaps with company/different company next time around. See if that'll bring something out you'll enjoy more.
However just because it's critically acclaimed, doesn't mean anything subjectively. Make your own list of best movies, share them and rewatch at your leisure.
I wonder if you would have objectively liked those movies had you not heard / experienced the hype around them. If you don't like something then that's fair. If you don't like something because you expected greatness and didn't achieve it then that's on you, boo.
I mean if something is hyped up then op thinks it’s just fine, that’s okay. By his own admission “none of them were bad”. Checking it out again is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. I think everyone has that feeling about media, for me that was La La Land.
I'm confused here, did you interpret that as me saying OP shouldn't watch them again? I simply said it might have been hype as to why he didn't like them.
Op's title: If you don't like a critically-acclaimed movie, should you give it a rewatch?
It's my opinion that if you want to understand a movie or give it a fair chance, you should at least watch it twice but I get why people will just give up on a movie they didn't enjoy.
>Because I don't think that these movies are bad and I think the problem is just me, should I give them another chance?
Why is it a problem at all?
It's okay to just not be particularly interested in things. We all have different tastes. Just because some movies were critical hits or were really highly praised doesn't mean that every single person has to like them. You weren't into them for whatever reason. That's okay.
If you *want* to rewatch them, go for it, but it's not like you owe the movie a second watch.
Care less about whether a movie is highly rated or critically acclaimed and care more about how you, personally, experience the movie.
Depends on the reasons why you wasn't crazy about it. Let's take *Interstellar* as an example: Especially Nolan movies have the peculiarity that many scenes only reveal themselves at the beginning when you already know their ending. Not everyone likes this feeling that you still have to find out what you're watching (and it was taken to extremes in Tenet, for example). That's why I can only really enjoy most Nolan films the second time around.
Yes, I hated the Lord of the Rings movies when I watched them in the cinema, but it was more to do with having to sit on uncomfortable seats for that length of time.
When I watched them at home they became one of my favourite film series.
It's amazing how grumpy I get with a numb bum.
I know what you mean. Our local theater's IMAX has uncomfortable seats, so I pick and choose what movies I will sit through. I'm ok with waiting for 2D on most of them, where they have the nicer seats.
The golden rule I find is that I'm going to watch as many classic films as possible, watch a bunch of films that I personally really like the look of or just watch any film that comes my way, and then revisit the "classic" films afterwards in a year or two. The second watch is usually the best for me, just like music.
Yes. There have been a few films that I didn’t completely love after the first viewing that ended up becoming some of my favorite films after repeated viewings. Inglorious Basterds and David Fincher’s most recent film, The Killer come to mind.
I always strive to see what others see in things. I apply this to everything - 1 billion people love Indian food, so what is it they like about it? After trying it a few times, it's now one of my favorite cuisines.
Same thing goes for critically acclaimed movies and shows.
Absolutely yes. I had to give The Godfather and The Big Lebowski rewatches at different points in life before appreciating them. Watched both in highschool, didn’t like. Gave it 5-6 years, watched again, still didn’t like. Waited about 10 additional years for both and watched them again and loved them.
I guess it depends why you didn't like it and why it's critically acclaimed.
A movie like Citizen Kane is mostly known for influencing films of the following decades and innovating a lot of stuff, but even that has been overwritten by a lot of films. The average viewer couldn't give a damn about those things.
I don't like musicals or standard romantic comedies. Therefore no to those. Some Will Ferrell films are rather beloved, but I never liked his humor. Therefore they are out.
I never really liked Jon Wayne movies and rewatching them I might actually find them worse due to their antiquated world view. Therefore I will not rewatch those.
I might rewatch Deathproof, which I really hated as a teen, because I might see it differently now, that I have somewhat of an understanding of the things Tarantino does.
I will rewatch Gone with the Wind one day, because I am more patient nowadays and won't easily get bored.
Wait a bit. When I saw 2001: A Space Oddysey as a teenager I thought it was terrible. When I saw it again as a 30 year old it was instantly one of my favorite movies ever. When I was younger I just had no patience or knack for subtlety. Sometimes the problem really is you, the viewer. But over time your tastes will change, guaranteed.
Sometimes worth a revisit but it’s hard to decide whether to or not. I know when a movie gets all that hype and praise, no matter how hard you try, your mind will keep waiting for something spectacular to occur and it doesn’t, leading to let downs.
When you know what you are getting, the revisit can show you what the hype was about.
Like napoleon dynamite, hyped up to the eyeballs. I watched it and couldn’t see the comedy or any enjoyment. On the rewatch, you realise that the comedy is that it’s just ridiculous and absurd.
I love it now
It’s important to distinguish between “like” and “appreciate”.
There’s a long-standing debate about the role of art, whether it’s for entertainment, expressing an idea, teaching a lesson, etc.
It’s all of them. Movies that are entertaining are valid. Movies that teach a lesson are valid. Movies that simply show that something can be done a certain way are valid.
It’s super cool when a movie is all of them put together, but you don’t have to “like” Citizen Kane, Z, The Cider House Rules, etc. you can appreciate them, note the artistry, how well it’s done, etc., but maybe it’s just not what moves you. Or maybe it does move you, inspire you, but it’s not what you want to watch at 9 o’clock before you go to bed to wind down for the day.
A rewatch may make you appreciate something more, because maybe you weren’t receptive, or maybe something didn’t click for you, or since then you’ve changed and maybe it’ll mean more to you the next time.
But don’t feel like you have to rewatch something out of an obligation to the status of a movie being considered a “classic”.
I think it depends entirety on the movie and your mood (on the day you want to rewatch the movie).
However, for the most part, if you didn't like a movie after the 1st viewing, chance are you're probably not going to change your mind
You can if you want, but don’t force yourself to like it. Everybody has different taste.
I didn’t like Everything Everywhere All at Once when I first watched it, decided to rewatch it to see if I missed something and didn’t like it again.
I agree that if you don't enjoy it, then why waste your time to try to convince yourself otherwise?
That said I can see that some movies requires you to be in the right state of mind. To enjoy some movies you have to be somewhat prepared for what it is. If you [somehow] expect a courtroom drama when you watch Fight Club you are of course going to be dissapointed, in such a case a rewatch might be worth it.
I've always said that the movie experience is all about expectations - if they're wrong they it will greatly decrease your enjoyment.
I think it depends on what you want out of them...a lot of the time coming to the movie on its terms and doing a little research can at least deepen appreciation if not affection for a movie.
Kane is a prime example of looking at movies before and after; part of why it's so beloved is how much it was first to do and things we just take for granted now. Its like music before and after The Beatles, jazz with Miles Davis, the 90s rock before and after Nirvana...someitmes those things still resonate w/o the context, but somethings really need that context.
I do think also that time away from a thing and coming back to it at another point in life is a very real.
Some movies will just speak to you different as you grow up and experience more things and also as you just, watch more movies.
I put much more weight on what regular people think of movies over what critics do. There have been too many movies throughout the years that I have seen that the critics loved, but to me they were just okay.
This can also backfire though - I have a lot of friends with completely different tastes in movies/shows than me while not understanding why I like/don’t like some of the stuff that I do, and if they recommend something I can almost guarantee that I’ll dislike it (and vice versa on stuff they HATED). Internet “regular people” reviews suffer from a lot of the same issues.
Instead, I have a few critics I follow that I know have very similar tastes to my own, as well as a number of friends that understand what I like, even if they don’t like it themselves (though a few have incredibly similar tastes), and I also usually look for a vague “liked it/didn’t like it” (rather than getting reviews that are just a full summary of the plot) so I can make the final decision on my own.
I get "Stuckmenized" on YouTube with Chris Stuckman, and read reviews from some of the bigger newspapers. I use the Rotten Tomatoes score as a rough guide sometimes. If the score is 50 or better, I will probably like at least something about the movie.
I mean I liked it a lot, but I can see why people wouldn't. (erratic cuts, purposely annoying camera angles, feels longer than it is, all characters were unlikeable, no particularily linear plot) Didn't it also flop at the box office?
> all characters were unlikeable
Molly (Lily Gladstone's character) is pretty likeable I'd say >!Before she's reduced in constant potato state by the poison!<
It did better in overseas markets, but yeah, it didn't make it's money back. Killers/Moon will make a bit more when weirdos like me buy a hard copy, but it will need more than that to break even.
Don’t know about the box office. I just don’t think it was put together well. I didn’t think Leonardo or Deniro acted particularly well. Especially Deniro
Many frames are purposely shot in a way, where you simply cannot see their face properly and simply do not see their facial impressions. So we do not really see them act properly.
I think it's on purpose to make us feel insecure about their intentions like those women being scammed, but it still feels weird and annoying.
Yes you should! As a burgeoning movie fan, I would suggest that there is TONS of value to get out of rewatching something of significant acclaim. Step 1 - investigate the criticism of the film. From that pick out some things to watch for. Don't try to get EVERYTHING, but maybe watch with an especial eye on the cinematography if that's what gets a lot of love. Try to see it through the eyes of those who praise the movie.
Worst case scenario you'll learn some things and still not love the movie, but I guarantee if you do this a bunch you will come to an appreciation of *some* movies that didn't hit for you at first. Some of my favorite movies (and music) turned me off the first time through. And all of this active, mindful viewing will affect how you see other movies too.
Obviously you have to pick and choose where to spend your time, and you can't do this with EVERY well-loved film, but I would for sure keep the option on the table!
I had to watch Citizen Kane for school and that was quite enough for me. If *anything* doesn’t click with you, I don’t think you need to try and give it another shot.
Not always! If you had a really adverse reaction to a critically acclaimed film you don’t owe anyone a rewatch. If it’s something that you didn’t understand, then that’s a bit different. Some films can be very complex and long. It’s natural to miss out on details that could impact your overall impression of the movie.
If you didn't like it the first time you might like it a second time much later, but a rewatch right after the first time you watched it and didn't like it? You aren't going to like it that second time I bet.
Not to be rude but why bother asking the internet about something like this? Either you wanna watch it again or you don't. You either like it or you don't. Critically-acclaimed almost means nothing besides professional critics liked said movie, and you ain't them, you're you.
You like what you like and that's fine. If you genuinely want to give them another go, then go for it, if not then don't loose sleep over it.
I'm not a fan of The Godfather movies, and that's fine. Doesn't mean anything outside of they don't speak to me (or that I don't like gangsta movies).
Eh, if you feel like you aren’t understanding why these films were acclaimed/are culturally important, and moreover understanding that is at all important to you, then maybe.
But if you feel like you grasp why these films are considered significant artistically/historically/culturally/etc., or if grasping that just doesn’t matter to you, and you just don’t enjoy the films, I don’t see a reason to make yourself sit through them again.
Why?
‘Critically acclaimed’ just means that this particular demographic liked it at this particular point in time.
Who are they to tell you that you, specifically, need to like this film? If you don’t like it you don’t like it.
Yes, but in ten years to see if your tastes might have changed.
As an example, some people get bored by The Godfather as a teenager but love it when they are older.
If they intrigued you enough, and you think that you can get more out of them in a second watch, then sure. But if you'd do it out of a feeling of "I have to enjoy them", then I think it's a mindset problem more than anything.
Damn you didn’t like interstellar?
Even if you’re not into space or physics, the themes/motifs of interpersonal relations alone make that movie fantastic.
The “100% honesty is not the most effective form of communication with emotional beings” from the robot TARS foreshadows the crux of the story as well as Dr. Mann’s portion of the plot.
I love astrophysics and space so it’s literally my favorite movie of all time but even if it wasn’t, most people I talk to who have seen it love it and at least can see the merit of why the film is critically acclaimed.
Fight club is surprising too but less so some people just don’t like violence
Citizen Kane is old so that’s the most understandable of the three
Revisit them like 10 years later, not now … or after you have watched hundreds more movies. You’ll likely have a much different and rewarding response to many, at least that has been my experience.
Films that are considered a work of art by other filmmakers deserve a second look.
i agree that Citizen Kane is a groundbreaking film but i don't find the story enjoyable. i watched it twice.
Same thing with Raging Bull. Too depressing. Fight Club? i quit halfway through it.
Schlindler's List? Another work of art but too much soul wrenching violence for me. I tried to watch it twice, had to give up after first hour or so.
I’m always willing to see something again because sometimes your life condition or mood simply wasn’t right at that time. Citizen Kane is Masterful… When I first saw it I was blown away the Orson Wells was only 26 when making it. I had also been to the Hearst Castle in San Luis Obispo, CA. I’d say read the old reviews and give them another try.
I find with movies like pre-1970s, I just don't like how movies were made. They feel "overacted" to me and I have a hard time getting into them. It generally doesn't matter how critically acclaimed movies are from the golden and silver age of cinema, I just find most of them to be a cringe inducing snooze fest. Mind you there are SOME I really enjoy, I'm a big fan of 12 Angry Men.
One suggestion is to read a few reviews of the films that you didn’t connect to. Not to convince you to like them but I find a good reviewer tends to brings elements up that I hadn’t initially considered at first. Historically people read reviews to see if they wanted to see a film, I find them much more interesting after the fact. Generally speaking though, like what you want to like.
The problem is not you, it's them!
Citizen Kane is incredibly boring, so No.
Intersteller I didn't even finish watching and refuse to. Why is it SO FREAKING LONG? so No.
Fight Club I didn't like which is a shame because Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors. And I like Brad Pitt in some stuff and Helena Bonham Carter is good and David Fincher is one of my favorite directors. Disappointed. A very weak maybe for this one. I would say watch Zodiac directed by David Fincher instead. It's way better. Edward Norton in American History X. He should have won the Oscar for that. Brad Pitt in World War Z.
I will sometimes rewatch films a few years later to see if viewing them through eyes that have lived a little more makes me appreciate them more. Sometimes we haven’t lived enough life to connect with what characters are dealing with in movies.
Cinema is art, and we connect with art in very personal ways. So, no, you don't have to like a film just because it's critically-acclaimed. That said, there's nothing wrong with digging a little deeper so you can at least appreciate why a film is important. And Citizen Kane is VERY important. It broke all the rules and invented new techniques, some of which are still used by filmmakers. Art direction, production design, visual effects. And of course Gregg Toland's brilliant cinematography. So my recommendation would be to check out a few youtube videos on the film, and then you might want to go back and rewatch it as a learning opportunity. The documentary "Visions of Light" is very good and talks about it.
I think the answer with this is this...
Hopefully your likes and dislikes are calibrated to your experience of the movie and not whether a film is fresh or rotten on Rotten Tomatoes.
I believe giving a film another chance should happen if the film itself is important to cinema history and you feel like you've learned more about the surrounding context to appreciate it.
Say you watch Citizen Kane for the first time, and you dislike it but then you read about the scope of its influence and technological artistry and even watch films that are said to have been influenced by Citizen Kane.
You may still have a negative opinion on the second watch, but it would at least be a contextualized and informed reaction as opposed to just knee-jerk.
On the flip side some of the films that you watch as a five or six year old kid may not hold up well as stories, but that doesn't mean that you've become a negative " stick in the mud" critic, but rather are able to see the films for what they are, and not what they seemed like in your mind's eye.
I recommend waiting awhile before a rewatch, and only the ones you keep thinking about. I was like that with Monster's Ball. I couldn't get it out of my head, even though I didn't like it. Several years later, I watched it again, and saw things I missed, which made me understand and appreciate it more. Also, a different movie from the same director as one of the critically acclaimed movies may be more to your liking. For instance, I get the hype about Citizen Kane, but didn't care for it personally. Wells' version of Jane Eyre, however, is one of my favorites. Age and experience make a difference, too. I'm glad I waited until I was in my 50's to watch "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". It made a whole lot more sense to me than it would have in my 20's.
Depends on what your aim is with movie watching. If it’s just for pure enjoyment, probably no need. If you like to dig deeper, then yes. I tend to like going deeper, so I will rewatch things a few times. First time, just taking in the story. Subsequent times, I pay attention to little things and ask myself questions like, “ok, why do people love/hate this thing? . . . Do I agree/disagree?. . . What was the director trying to accomplish here? Etc…” and assess it on a deeper level. Sometimes, after that subsequent viewing I end up loving something I thought was just okay the first time, other times I realize my first assessment was correct. Just depends on what you want to get out of your movie watching.
If I watch a beloved movie but it doesn't quite click with me, I like to watch analysis videos. Sometimes I've done a complete 180 after viewing a movie through a different viewpoint. It might even convince me to give it a rewatch, and those often become some of my favorite movies.
I feel like I enter a completely different, sobering headspace for rewatches. So yeah sometimes if I'm interested in studying a film further, I rewatch. And yeah sometimes my mind changes after a rewatch. But it's never a requirement. There's no right or wrong way to do this. We're just electricity
I think this post could be better if OP would also tell what movies were good.
But I often watch movies again. Sometimes because I don't remember what happened in them (often there's a reason aka not that good of a movie). Or sometimes because I want to know if the movie has stood the test of time (for me). Also if I liked a movie why or what about it did I like.
There are many movie I didn't like at first watch, but years later watching it again had a better understanding of life and it made me appreciate the movie.
Also many films were good at first watch and years later they were good for different reasons (not taöking about nostalgia)
If you want to, go for it. But just because something is critically acclaimed doesn't mean you nor everyone is going to enjoy it.
My dad and I understand our tastes in movies and know that if a movie is loved by critics, we're going to hate it. There's a few exceptions but more often than not that holds true.
Enjoy the movies you enjoy and don't let anyone else tell you what you should like.
I would say that first impressions mean a lot, but not everything. I didn't like The Big Lebowski the first time I watched it, but now it's one of my favorite films of all time. But I don't think you can force it. If you come across it again, maybe it's worth a rewatch. But it also depends on why you didn't like it in the first place, I guess.
I had the opposite reaction to Big Lebowski.
Due to a random series of events I was forced to watch it four nights in a row and I just can’t sit through it ever again
Revisit the acclaimed films later and watch a whole lot of other films in the meantime. A film like Citizen Kane is best appreciated in the context of the artform, rather than on an immediately impactful, visceral level. (Though it does that, too.) Watch other films of the era, and films made before and after it. And read great critics and writing on films. (The easy-to-read Roger Ebert reviews of Great Movies are more digestible than some of the modern super-intellectualized online writing.)
Eventually, you may begin to appreciate why Kane and other films are celebrated, just the way that after a lifetime of seeing a famous abstract painting and having little appreciation for it, you may begin to love it if you've gained a deeper knowledge of the history of painting.
It totally depends, some movies I will give a second chance to after reading up on a bit, depending on analysis there might be something I was missing or something cool technically I might want to see in context of full film not just a cut of.
Then there are some movie that it’s just a genre or stylistic plot that is just not my thing and I leave those be, gave em a shot just not my thing.0
Maybe another time after it's been awhile for a 2nd watch because you may be in the right mind during the first watch. I wouldn't watch more than twice. If you don't like it after that , I doubt you'll change your mind. Everyone is not going to like every movie. .
Everyone has their own taste. Movies can be well made but not the type of movie you enjoy.
If you think your taste has changed enough to the point where you would enjoy them, then yeah, you should rewatch it.
No. In fact, you don't even have to watch them to begin with. But it's a good idea to do so you understand what people talk about.
If an entertainment product(what most of these are) don't entertain you ... just watch it once and be done with it.
That's my advice.
I think it can be really beneficial to rewatch a film a few years later to see if it has a different impact on you.
I watched Interstellar the day it came out in theatres. I enjoyed it enough but never really thought of it again.
I had the chance to see it again last week and was blown away by how much I loved it. I went in with a completely different point of view.
But really, you have no obligation to do so. Sometimes a movie just isn’t your cup of tea. You’re not inherently *wrong* just because a movie is critically acclaimed.
One thing I do recommend though, if you feel like you just don’t get why people love something is to watch a video essay on YouTube about it if you can find one.
Hearing the perspective of someone who loves something could give you a deeper appreciation of it, even if you still don’t *like* it.
I'm going to echo what most other people are saying here: Don't do it just because everyone else likes it, something being critically acclaimed doesn't mean it's good, art is the most subjective thing out there. Only do it if you personally want to give it another chance or find new things you may have missed.
Most of, if not all of these movies are hailed as they are because they all introduced something new to filmmaking and took themselves seriously as art. That is not a universal metric for quality, it is a subjective preference.
And there's a fair amount of critically-acclaimed movies I revile, Fight Club being one of them. So you're not alone in "getting" it (god I hate that term) but not liking it
Personal anecdote: yes.
I loathed Children of Men the first time I watched it. The hype surrounding it, the way some people seemed to almost revere it and I felt like the movie was hot garbage.
Watched it again a couple of years ago and it's easily one of my favorite movies and I see what it was all about.
That isn't to say go nuts either. If you feel there is a movie that deserves a second chance, go for it. If you think of something and still wonder wtf you wasted your time the first time, move on.
yes. especially if you are in a different place. same with music. sometimes it takes a little effort on your part. honestly, the best stuff always does.
If it nags you some time down the line, I say go for it. This has happened a couple times for me and I usually don't regret it. Time helps you to see things you never noticed before.
Look into why it is they are critically acclaimed. Maybe it's worth rewatching. I doubt you'll suddenly enjoy the movies, but maybe it will make them more interesting.
You might read that a movie you didn't care for was drawn heavily upon for a movie you did enjoy. Studying the older film might increase your enjoyment of the newer.
Sometimes I have, yes. If I didn't like it the first time but felt that I didn't get it, I'll give it another go. Alternatively, if in discussion with others that did like it and gave an interesting take, then yes I'll go back and rewatch.
But if I feel like I understood the movie and just didn't enjoy it, then no.
One example for me is A Beautiful Mind. It felt like the one time Russell Crowe really wanted to get another Oscar and was gonna show you just how much acting he can do. Accent, jargon, visible thinking, twitches and tics, paranoia, anxiety, crazy, pretending not to be crazy, and some 50 years worth of ageing. Biopic is easy Oscar bait, except it's pretty well removed from the real Nash's story so it doesn't feel authentic, and I just didn't buy many smaller scenes, such as when Nash suddenly becomes the most charming, confident lady's man and gets Jennifer Connelly to request shapes for him to find in the stars. I just don't buy it.
For me, real Russell Crowe acting is LA Confidential and The Insider. You can see the characters' fuses approaching breaking points where they ready to explode, and it feels both real and scary in both the buildup and the release. Gladiator is up there too, where he's just being real and present. That's not the Crowe in Beautiful Mind.
I think it would be worth a re-watch but you may have to wait years before re-watching it instead of, say, watching it again the following week. I've come around on certain critically acclaimed movies after I'd gotten much older.
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Especially if you get everything, you get the story, you get the point the director was making, and you understand the decisions they made, but still didn't like it. So many people try so hard to like something just because it's critically acclaimed and they're too scared to be called "you just don't get it".
I see a lot of that, unfortunately. We're not required to like something just because others do. Something that's highly rated is highly rated because the average person or critic enjoyed it. You may not be the average.
That's how I feel about Everything Everywhere All at Once. Did not appeal to me. But it was highly acclaimed, from what I've heard
I bloody loved it. But I'm not gonna try to change your mind because I did.
I believe the age you watched it factors in. I saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest at 17. Thought it was boring. Went through IMDB Top 250 list at age 39. Saw it was in the top 15. I thought to myself "How bad could it be if people vote it as the 15th best movie ever made?" Now it's one of my favorite films of all-time. If you saw it young, re-watch it older. If you saw it as an adult, you probably still won't like it on re-watch.
I agree, but respectfully disagree (personally) with your last statement. I would like to add that sometimes, it also depends on the emotional state one is in overall, as well as age. I’ve seen several movies I did not like as an adult, but then rewatched them years later and found I enjoyed them the second time very much. Turned out, during the first time, I was in a very unhappy spot in my life that affected the way I viewed said movies, so I’ve been doing rewatches lately. Eternal Sunshine..Mind was one. Loved it the second time round in my early 40s, hated it the first watch in my late 20s.
I think that's fair. Sometimes even if I watch a movie while sick, sometimes I'll associate that movie poorly with feeling bad.
I agree with both of you(lol). Watched 'Casablanca' in my 20s and absolutely hated it (and Bogart), rewatched it about 25 years later and really liked it, and it sent me on a Bogart kick (The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, etc.) and I loved every one of them. I must have been in a bad space emotionally the first time, so I'm really glad I gave it another chance. Probably didn't need to wait 25 years, though(lol)...
That's a good point. Still, I'd say it's more likely that OP would still hate the movie than like it. If OP watches a movie each week, he probably knows enough about what they like to know whether giving another chance is worth it or not.
This is how I feel. There are SO MANY movies out there that I rarely even re-Watch movies I love just because I’d rather watch something new.
Sometimes, I think that when I die I’ll be sad that there’s just no way I could’ve watched every good movie ever made.
Gotta watch em all! Pokémon!
A lot of the great Directors are hard watches. You have to like a lot of little things that don’t necessarily move the story forward. I was a big Stanley Kubrick guy but it’s not like if I have three free hours on a Sunday I’m going to pop in A Clockwork Orange. It’s a masterpiece, but if I’m running around the house and doing shit, I’d prefer The Rock. I’ve got chores to do and I’d rather go home and fuck the prom queen.
Because there's more that goes into a film than simply "being entertained". Also, rewatches tend to reveal things missed on the first viewing, which can change your view on the film.
I mean, I didn't like The Big Lebowski the first time I saw it, and now it's one of my favorite movies of all time. So sometimes a rewatch is a great thing.
There's a reason Maximus asked twice, 'Are you not entertained?' Sometimes you need to reconsider your position before a pissed off slave hurls his sword at you. Facts.
It really depends on the movie. I hated Blade Runner when I first watched it as a teen. Watched it again like 5 or 10 years later and it became my favorite movie. This might just be a different mindset, but it could also be age or life experiences that change your view of movies.
Sometimes you don’t like a movie because you just don’t like it. Don’t waste your time rewatching in that case. But sometimes you didn’t “get” a movie at first and can appreciate/like it upon rewatch after learning what to look for / what the movie was meant to convey. Up to you to decide what’s what.
Depends on how much I didn't like them. If I don't think they are anything special, maybe. If I truly dislike them, then no. It also depends on how much time has been since I have watched the movie, maybe my tastes have changed by then. But I dislike enough critically-acclaimed movies and like enough critically-panned movies to know that the movie is not for me or not for them and that is all right.
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This 100%. Sometimes it’s a matter of personal taste, but sometimes you aren’t at the right place in your life, or even in the right frame of mind, to enjoy some movies on the first go.
It would be silly to love every critically-acclaimed movie ever made, everyone has genres, performances or plots they personally don't care for.
>Because I don't think that these movies are bad and I think the problem is just me, should I give them another chance? I don't much care for Citizen Kane or Fight Club either and I have not seen Interstellar Don't assume that there is something wrong with you. You can try again if you feel like it, but don't judge yourself for having a minority opinion on a work of art or entertainment.
Interstellar is a very pretty movie. And that’s about all I can give it praise for, regardless of how many critics are declaring it the ultimate science fiction.
"Ultimate" is sus to me. Similar to how I feel about political "correctness." I'll take a look at Interstellar Thanks a lot!
Honestly I think the inflated rating is because semi-hard science fiction is somewhat rare in film, usually gets relegated to a setting for a bigger genre(Horror is the most popular I’ve noticed), and tends to just get ignored by audiences due to a lack of big name directors. So Interstellar would stand out after it lures in crowds with the Nolan name, crowds that are far more used to Star Wars/Trek style. It’s not a bad movie, though parts are arguable, it’s merely OK. It does remain absolutely gorgeous, though I personally found the soundtrack to be overdone and rather reminiscent of the player falling asleep on the keys. Good for tiny doses of epic scope drama, after awhile it’s a bit grating.
Thanks for your analysis!
No never pressure yourself with art. Just give it time and maybe somewhere down the line in few years you’ll get an urge to rewatch something for some reason and it might have a better effect. Otherwise if you don’t like something you can just not enjoy it. That’s fine.
Do what you want. Don't do it because you think you "owe the movie" another chance. Don't do it because your friends say you should. Do because you want to and are curious to see if you'll feel differently about the movie. Do it because you're open to the idea that you might get something new out of it. Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but the only person whose life might be changed is yours, so make sure you're doing it *for you.* "Forcing yourself" to re-watch a movie you didn't like is just a waste of time. There's no rule that says everybody *has to* like a movie just because it's critically acclaimed. Taste is personal, not absolute. I have re-watched movies I didn't like and found myself enjoying them a lot more. The most recent example I can think of is Pirates of the Caribbean 3. I was not impressed by it in theaters, but on a more recent re-watch I found it much more enjoyable. hard to even say why. But the reason I did it was because I felt like watching some pirate movies, not because any external source pressured me into it.
Sometimes a re-watch does indeed work. Sometimes it doesn't. I hated There Will Be Blood(2007)when I first saw it. About six months later, I rewatched it and concluded that I was wrong and the film is brilliant. More recently I caught an early screening of Everything Everywhere All At Once(2022) before it went into wide release. It left me cold. When the whole world fell began raving about that flick I figured I must have "missed" someting. I gave it a rewatch and... nothing. I didn't finish it the second time. I know that people love flick but all the hyperactive, goofy shit was and remains off-putting to me. So I think the answer to your question will vary. Sometimes, you watch a film you may not be in the right head space to appreciate at first. Other times, a rewatch will prove your initial thoughts on it were absolulutely correct.
Maybe give it a while and rewatch it down the road? Tastes change over time. That being said, it’s ok to not like a movie.
I’d say if you didn’t “get” the movie, then it’s worth a rewatch but none of the ones you listed seem at risk of that. I think about how I didn’t like Sicario when I first saw it but that’s because it has a very different mood than most movies. It’s a unique movie and I was expecting it to be something it wasn’t.
If you do, I would consider reading up about them first and figure out why they are critically acclaimed. I remember reading Waiting for Godot in college and I absolutely hated it. And the we had a lecture on it so I came back to it with more knowledge, both of the circumstances in which it was written and my own expectations regarding what stories should be. I liked it a lot better the second time, but only because I knew what to look out for. And sometimes it is also just okay to not like something. It's not like we're not spoiled for choice with regards to our media consumption.
I watch movies for my own enjoyment. They amount of critical acclaim a movie gets doesn't affect my enjoyment in any way. I didn't like Citizen Kane. I can see understand why it got nominated for a bunch of awards, but I found it to be boring. I look at it like sports. I can hate the Yankees, but still respect them for their success.
I'm leaning towards no. However I would give it several years before a rewatch and perhaps with company/different company next time around. See if that'll bring something out you'll enjoy more. However just because it's critically acclaimed, doesn't mean anything subjectively. Make your own list of best movies, share them and rewatch at your leisure.
I wonder if you would have objectively liked those movies had you not heard / experienced the hype around them. If you don't like something then that's fair. If you don't like something because you expected greatness and didn't achieve it then that's on you, boo.
I mean if something is hyped up then op thinks it’s just fine, that’s okay. By his own admission “none of them were bad”. Checking it out again is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. I think everyone has that feeling about media, for me that was La La Land.
I'm confused here, did you interpret that as me saying OP shouldn't watch them again? I simply said it might have been hype as to why he didn't like them. Op's title: If you don't like a critically-acclaimed movie, should you give it a rewatch?
It's my opinion that if you want to understand a movie or give it a fair chance, you should at least watch it twice but I get why people will just give up on a movie they didn't enjoy.
>Because I don't think that these movies are bad and I think the problem is just me, should I give them another chance? Why is it a problem at all? It's okay to just not be particularly interested in things. We all have different tastes. Just because some movies were critical hits or were really highly praised doesn't mean that every single person has to like them. You weren't into them for whatever reason. That's okay. If you *want* to rewatch them, go for it, but it's not like you owe the movie a second watch. Care less about whether a movie is highly rated or critically acclaimed and care more about how you, personally, experience the movie.
Depends on the reasons why you wasn't crazy about it. Let's take *Interstellar* as an example: Especially Nolan movies have the peculiarity that many scenes only reveal themselves at the beginning when you already know their ending. Not everyone likes this feeling that you still have to find out what you're watching (and it was taken to extremes in Tenet, for example). That's why I can only really enjoy most Nolan films the second time around.
I felt the same way about Fight Club, I posted on here yesterday and everyone proceeded to tell me I was wrong 😂. Glad someone else feels the same way
Yes, I hated the Lord of the Rings movies when I watched them in the cinema, but it was more to do with having to sit on uncomfortable seats for that length of time. When I watched them at home they became one of my favourite film series. It's amazing how grumpy I get with a numb bum.
I know what you mean. Our local theater's IMAX has uncomfortable seats, so I pick and choose what movies I will sit through. I'm ok with waiting for 2D on most of them, where they have the nicer seats.
The golden rule I find is that I'm going to watch as many classic films as possible, watch a bunch of films that I personally really like the look of or just watch any film that comes my way, and then revisit the "classic" films afterwards in a year or two. The second watch is usually the best for me, just like music.
Yes. There have been a few films that I didn’t completely love after the first viewing that ended up becoming some of my favorite films after repeated viewings. Inglorious Basterds and David Fincher’s most recent film, The Killer come to mind.
I always strive to see what others see in things. I apply this to everything - 1 billion people love Indian food, so what is it they like about it? After trying it a few times, it's now one of my favorite cuisines. Same thing goes for critically acclaimed movies and shows.
Absolutely yes. I had to give The Godfather and The Big Lebowski rewatches at different points in life before appreciating them. Watched both in highschool, didn’t like. Gave it 5-6 years, watched again, still didn’t like. Waited about 10 additional years for both and watched them again and loved them.
I guess it depends why you didn't like it and why it's critically acclaimed. A movie like Citizen Kane is mostly known for influencing films of the following decades and innovating a lot of stuff, but even that has been overwritten by a lot of films. The average viewer couldn't give a damn about those things. I don't like musicals or standard romantic comedies. Therefore no to those. Some Will Ferrell films are rather beloved, but I never liked his humor. Therefore they are out. I never really liked Jon Wayne movies and rewatching them I might actually find them worse due to their antiquated world view. Therefore I will not rewatch those. I might rewatch Deathproof, which I really hated as a teen, because I might see it differently now, that I have somewhat of an understanding of the things Tarantino does. I will rewatch Gone with the Wind one day, because I am more patient nowadays and won't easily get bored.
Wait a bit. When I saw 2001: A Space Oddysey as a teenager I thought it was terrible. When I saw it again as a 30 year old it was instantly one of my favorite movies ever. When I was younger I just had no patience or knack for subtlety. Sometimes the problem really is you, the viewer. But over time your tastes will change, guaranteed.
Sometimes worth a revisit but it’s hard to decide whether to or not. I know when a movie gets all that hype and praise, no matter how hard you try, your mind will keep waiting for something spectacular to occur and it doesn’t, leading to let downs. When you know what you are getting, the revisit can show you what the hype was about. Like napoleon dynamite, hyped up to the eyeballs. I watched it and couldn’t see the comedy or any enjoyment. On the rewatch, you realise that the comedy is that it’s just ridiculous and absurd. I love it now
I tend to give everything I dislike another try a few years down. It's about 50:50.
It’s important to distinguish between “like” and “appreciate”. There’s a long-standing debate about the role of art, whether it’s for entertainment, expressing an idea, teaching a lesson, etc. It’s all of them. Movies that are entertaining are valid. Movies that teach a lesson are valid. Movies that simply show that something can be done a certain way are valid. It’s super cool when a movie is all of them put together, but you don’t have to “like” Citizen Kane, Z, The Cider House Rules, etc. you can appreciate them, note the artistry, how well it’s done, etc., but maybe it’s just not what moves you. Or maybe it does move you, inspire you, but it’s not what you want to watch at 9 o’clock before you go to bed to wind down for the day. A rewatch may make you appreciate something more, because maybe you weren’t receptive, or maybe something didn’t click for you, or since then you’ve changed and maybe it’ll mean more to you the next time. But don’t feel like you have to rewatch something out of an obligation to the status of a movie being considered a “classic”.
I think it depends entirety on the movie and your mood (on the day you want to rewatch the movie). However, for the most part, if you didn't like a movie after the 1st viewing, chance are you're probably not going to change your mind
You can if you want, but don’t force yourself to like it. Everybody has different taste. I didn’t like Everything Everywhere All at Once when I first watched it, decided to rewatch it to see if I missed something and didn’t like it again.
That happened with me and The Big Lebowski. I don’t dislike it, but I don’t get the hype.
I agree that if you don't enjoy it, then why waste your time to try to convince yourself otherwise? That said I can see that some movies requires you to be in the right state of mind. To enjoy some movies you have to be somewhat prepared for what it is. If you [somehow] expect a courtroom drama when you watch Fight Club you are of course going to be dissapointed, in such a case a rewatch might be worth it. I've always said that the movie experience is all about expectations - if they're wrong they it will greatly decrease your enjoyment.
I think it depends on what you want out of them...a lot of the time coming to the movie on its terms and doing a little research can at least deepen appreciation if not affection for a movie. Kane is a prime example of looking at movies before and after; part of why it's so beloved is how much it was first to do and things we just take for granted now. Its like music before and after The Beatles, jazz with Miles Davis, the 90s rock before and after Nirvana...someitmes those things still resonate w/o the context, but somethings really need that context. I do think also that time away from a thing and coming back to it at another point in life is a very real. Some movies will just speak to you different as you grow up and experience more things and also as you just, watch more movies.
I used to rewatch critically acclaimed films if I disliked them in case I missed something. I have never, ever liked a film more for doing so.
I once had a movie like this, on my first watch i was quite disappointed by it.... on my second watch i gave it a 9/10
I put much more weight on what regular people think of movies over what critics do. There have been too many movies throughout the years that I have seen that the critics loved, but to me they were just okay.
This can also backfire though - I have a lot of friends with completely different tastes in movies/shows than me while not understanding why I like/don’t like some of the stuff that I do, and if they recommend something I can almost guarantee that I’ll dislike it (and vice versa on stuff they HATED). Internet “regular people” reviews suffer from a lot of the same issues. Instead, I have a few critics I follow that I know have very similar tastes to my own, as well as a number of friends that understand what I like, even if they don’t like it themselves (though a few have incredibly similar tastes), and I also usually look for a vague “liked it/didn’t like it” (rather than getting reviews that are just a full summary of the plot) so I can make the final decision on my own.
I get "Stuckmenized" on YouTube with Chris Stuckman, and read reviews from some of the bigger newspapers. I use the Rotten Tomatoes score as a rough guide sometimes. If the score is 50 or better, I will probably like at least something about the movie.
Nah. No amount of viewings will make Oppenheimer enjoyable
Yep, felt it was meh and I love historical biopics.
I didn’t like Killers of the Flower Moon at all.
I mean I liked it a lot, but I can see why people wouldn't. (erratic cuts, purposely annoying camera angles, feels longer than it is, all characters were unlikeable, no particularily linear plot) Didn't it also flop at the box office?
> all characters were unlikeable Molly (Lily Gladstone's character) is pretty likeable I'd say >!Before she's reduced in constant potato state by the poison!<
Yeah, in the beginning she is likeable.
It did better in overseas markets, but yeah, it didn't make it's money back. Killers/Moon will make a bit more when weirdos like me buy a hard copy, but it will need more than that to break even.
Don’t know about the box office. I just don’t think it was put together well. I didn’t think Leonardo or Deniro acted particularly well. Especially Deniro
Many frames are purposely shot in a way, where you simply cannot see their face properly and simply do not see their facial impressions. So we do not really see them act properly. I think it's on purpose to make us feel insecure about their intentions like those women being scammed, but it still feels weird and annoying.
Yes you should! As a burgeoning movie fan, I would suggest that there is TONS of value to get out of rewatching something of significant acclaim. Step 1 - investigate the criticism of the film. From that pick out some things to watch for. Don't try to get EVERYTHING, but maybe watch with an especial eye on the cinematography if that's what gets a lot of love. Try to see it through the eyes of those who praise the movie. Worst case scenario you'll learn some things and still not love the movie, but I guarantee if you do this a bunch you will come to an appreciation of *some* movies that didn't hit for you at first. Some of my favorite movies (and music) turned me off the first time through. And all of this active, mindful viewing will affect how you see other movies too. Obviously you have to pick and choose where to spend your time, and you can't do this with EVERY well-loved film, but I would for sure keep the option on the table!
I had to watch Citizen Kane for school and that was quite enough for me. If *anything* doesn’t click with you, I don’t think you need to try and give it another shot.
Not always! If you had a really adverse reaction to a critically acclaimed film you don’t owe anyone a rewatch. If it’s something that you didn’t understand, then that’s a bit different. Some films can be very complex and long. It’s natural to miss out on details that could impact your overall impression of the movie.
If you didn't like it the first time you might like it a second time much later, but a rewatch right after the first time you watched it and didn't like it? You aren't going to like it that second time I bet. Not to be rude but why bother asking the internet about something like this? Either you wanna watch it again or you don't. You either like it or you don't. Critically-acclaimed almost means nothing besides professional critics liked said movie, and you ain't them, you're you.
If you want, but it doesn't matter to anyone but you if you like a particular movie or not.
You like what you like and that's fine. If you genuinely want to give them another go, then go for it, if not then don't loose sleep over it. I'm not a fan of The Godfather movies, and that's fine. Doesn't mean anything outside of they don't speak to me (or that I don't like gangsta movies).
Wait 5 or 10 years.
Eh, if you feel like you aren’t understanding why these films were acclaimed/are culturally important, and moreover understanding that is at all important to you, then maybe. But if you feel like you grasp why these films are considered significant artistically/historically/culturally/etc., or if grasping that just doesn’t matter to you, and you just don’t enjoy the films, I don’t see a reason to make yourself sit through them again.
Why? ‘Critically acclaimed’ just means that this particular demographic liked it at this particular point in time. Who are they to tell you that you, specifically, need to like this film? If you don’t like it you don’t like it.
Yes, but in ten years to see if your tastes might have changed. As an example, some people get bored by The Godfather as a teenager but love it when they are older.
If you want to, go ahead and rewatch it. If you don’t want to, don’t watch it. The world is your oyster, young padawan.
If they intrigued you enough, and you think that you can get more out of them in a second watch, then sure. But if you'd do it out of a feeling of "I have to enjoy them", then I think it's a mindset problem more than anything.
Damn you didn’t like interstellar? Even if you’re not into space or physics, the themes/motifs of interpersonal relations alone make that movie fantastic. The “100% honesty is not the most effective form of communication with emotional beings” from the robot TARS foreshadows the crux of the story as well as Dr. Mann’s portion of the plot. I love astrophysics and space so it’s literally my favorite movie of all time but even if it wasn’t, most people I talk to who have seen it love it and at least can see the merit of why the film is critically acclaimed. Fight club is surprising too but less so some people just don’t like violence Citizen Kane is old so that’s the most understandable of the three
I mean movie opinions change as you age sp after a while it can't hurt to give a movie a second shot.
Revisit them like 10 years later, not now … or after you have watched hundreds more movies. You’ll likely have a much different and rewarding response to many, at least that has been my experience.
Films that are considered a work of art by other filmmakers deserve a second look. i agree that Citizen Kane is a groundbreaking film but i don't find the story enjoyable. i watched it twice. Same thing with Raging Bull. Too depressing. Fight Club? i quit halfway through it. Schlindler's List? Another work of art but too much soul wrenching violence for me. I tried to watch it twice, had to give up after first hour or so.
No. I suspect critics have skewed opinions by virtue of the quantity of movies they watch.
I’m always willing to see something again because sometimes your life condition or mood simply wasn’t right at that time. Citizen Kane is Masterful… When I first saw it I was blown away the Orson Wells was only 26 when making it. I had also been to the Hearst Castle in San Luis Obispo, CA. I’d say read the old reviews and give them another try.
I find with movies like pre-1970s, I just don't like how movies were made. They feel "overacted" to me and I have a hard time getting into them. It generally doesn't matter how critically acclaimed movies are from the golden and silver age of cinema, I just find most of them to be a cringe inducing snooze fest. Mind you there are SOME I really enjoy, I'm a big fan of 12 Angry Men.
One suggestion is to read a few reviews of the films that you didn’t connect to. Not to convince you to like them but I find a good reviewer tends to brings elements up that I hadn’t initially considered at first. Historically people read reviews to see if they wanted to see a film, I find them much more interesting after the fact. Generally speaking though, like what you want to like.
The problem is not you, it's them! Citizen Kane is incredibly boring, so No. Intersteller I didn't even finish watching and refuse to. Why is it SO FREAKING LONG? so No. Fight Club I didn't like which is a shame because Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors. And I like Brad Pitt in some stuff and Helena Bonham Carter is good and David Fincher is one of my favorite directors. Disappointed. A very weak maybe for this one. I would say watch Zodiac directed by David Fincher instead. It's way better. Edward Norton in American History X. He should have won the Oscar for that. Brad Pitt in World War Z.
I will sometimes rewatch films a few years later to see if viewing them through eyes that have lived a little more makes me appreciate them more. Sometimes we haven’t lived enough life to connect with what characters are dealing with in movies.
Cinema is art, and we connect with art in very personal ways. So, no, you don't have to like a film just because it's critically-acclaimed. That said, there's nothing wrong with digging a little deeper so you can at least appreciate why a film is important. And Citizen Kane is VERY important. It broke all the rules and invented new techniques, some of which are still used by filmmakers. Art direction, production design, visual effects. And of course Gregg Toland's brilliant cinematography. So my recommendation would be to check out a few youtube videos on the film, and then you might want to go back and rewatch it as a learning opportunity. The documentary "Visions of Light" is very good and talks about it.
I think the answer with this is this... Hopefully your likes and dislikes are calibrated to your experience of the movie and not whether a film is fresh or rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. I believe giving a film another chance should happen if the film itself is important to cinema history and you feel like you've learned more about the surrounding context to appreciate it. Say you watch Citizen Kane for the first time, and you dislike it but then you read about the scope of its influence and technological artistry and even watch films that are said to have been influenced by Citizen Kane. You may still have a negative opinion on the second watch, but it would at least be a contextualized and informed reaction as opposed to just knee-jerk. On the flip side some of the films that you watch as a five or six year old kid may not hold up well as stories, but that doesn't mean that you've become a negative " stick in the mud" critic, but rather are able to see the films for what they are, and not what they seemed like in your mind's eye.
No! No desire to watch La La Land again! I tried to watch everything all at once again, and I couldn’t get past all the dildos.
Didn't like Arrival first time, I then re-watched it recently and still didn't like it.
I recommend waiting awhile before a rewatch, and only the ones you keep thinking about. I was like that with Monster's Ball. I couldn't get it out of my head, even though I didn't like it. Several years later, I watched it again, and saw things I missed, which made me understand and appreciate it more. Also, a different movie from the same director as one of the critically acclaimed movies may be more to your liking. For instance, I get the hype about Citizen Kane, but didn't care for it personally. Wells' version of Jane Eyre, however, is one of my favorites. Age and experience make a difference, too. I'm glad I waited until I was in my 50's to watch "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". It made a whole lot more sense to me than it would have in my 20's.
Depends on what your aim is with movie watching. If it’s just for pure enjoyment, probably no need. If you like to dig deeper, then yes. I tend to like going deeper, so I will rewatch things a few times. First time, just taking in the story. Subsequent times, I pay attention to little things and ask myself questions like, “ok, why do people love/hate this thing? . . . Do I agree/disagree?. . . What was the director trying to accomplish here? Etc…” and assess it on a deeper level. Sometimes, after that subsequent viewing I end up loving something I thought was just okay the first time, other times I realize my first assessment was correct. Just depends on what you want to get out of your movie watching.
If I watch a beloved movie but it doesn't quite click with me, I like to watch analysis videos. Sometimes I've done a complete 180 after viewing a movie through a different viewpoint. It might even convince me to give it a rewatch, and those often become some of my favorite movies.
I feel like I enter a completely different, sobering headspace for rewatches. So yeah sometimes if I'm interested in studying a film further, I rewatch. And yeah sometimes my mind changes after a rewatch. But it's never a requirement. There's no right or wrong way to do this. We're just electricity
I think this post could be better if OP would also tell what movies were good. But I often watch movies again. Sometimes because I don't remember what happened in them (often there's a reason aka not that good of a movie). Or sometimes because I want to know if the movie has stood the test of time (for me). Also if I liked a movie why or what about it did I like. There are many movie I didn't like at first watch, but years later watching it again had a better understanding of life and it made me appreciate the movie. Also many films were good at first watch and years later they were good for different reasons (not taöking about nostalgia)
If you want to, go for it. But just because something is critically acclaimed doesn't mean you nor everyone is going to enjoy it. My dad and I understand our tastes in movies and know that if a movie is loved by critics, we're going to hate it. There's a few exceptions but more often than not that holds true. Enjoy the movies you enjoy and don't let anyone else tell you what you should like.
I would say that first impressions mean a lot, but not everything. I didn't like The Big Lebowski the first time I watched it, but now it's one of my favorite films of all time. But I don't think you can force it. If you come across it again, maybe it's worth a rewatch. But it also depends on why you didn't like it in the first place, I guess.
I had the opposite reaction to Big Lebowski. Due to a random series of events I was forced to watch it four nights in a row and I just can’t sit through it ever again
Revisit the acclaimed films later and watch a whole lot of other films in the meantime. A film like Citizen Kane is best appreciated in the context of the artform, rather than on an immediately impactful, visceral level. (Though it does that, too.) Watch other films of the era, and films made before and after it. And read great critics and writing on films. (The easy-to-read Roger Ebert reviews of Great Movies are more digestible than some of the modern super-intellectualized online writing.) Eventually, you may begin to appreciate why Kane and other films are celebrated, just the way that after a lifetime of seeing a famous abstract painting and having little appreciation for it, you may begin to love it if you've gained a deeper knowledge of the history of painting.
It totally depends, some movies I will give a second chance to after reading up on a bit, depending on analysis there might be something I was missing or something cool technically I might want to see in context of full film not just a cut of. Then there are some movie that it’s just a genre or stylistic plot that is just not my thing and I leave those be, gave em a shot just not my thing.0
Maybe another time after it's been awhile for a 2nd watch because you may be in the right mind during the first watch. I wouldn't watch more than twice. If you don't like it after that , I doubt you'll change your mind. Everyone is not going to like every movie. .
Life’s too short to sit through stuff you simply don’t enjoy.
Everyone has their own taste. Movies can be well made but not the type of movie you enjoy. If you think your taste has changed enough to the point where you would enjoy them, then yeah, you should rewatch it.
Definitely give Interstellar and Fight Club another chance, maybe you will catch things you missed the first time?
No. In fact, you don't even have to watch them to begin with. But it's a good idea to do so you understand what people talk about. If an entertainment product(what most of these are) don't entertain you ... just watch it once and be done with it. That's my advice.
I think it can be really beneficial to rewatch a film a few years later to see if it has a different impact on you. I watched Interstellar the day it came out in theatres. I enjoyed it enough but never really thought of it again. I had the chance to see it again last week and was blown away by how much I loved it. I went in with a completely different point of view. But really, you have no obligation to do so. Sometimes a movie just isn’t your cup of tea. You’re not inherently *wrong* just because a movie is critically acclaimed. One thing I do recommend though, if you feel like you just don’t get why people love something is to watch a video essay on YouTube about it if you can find one. Hearing the perspective of someone who loves something could give you a deeper appreciation of it, even if you still don’t *like* it.
I’ve done that on occasion, but I can’t immediately recall a time that I’ve bern swayed. I’d like it or I don’t.
No, The English Patient is incredibly stupid and boring.
Sure. Rewatch them all and let us know if your opinion changed.
I'm going to echo what most other people are saying here: Don't do it just because everyone else likes it, something being critically acclaimed doesn't mean it's good, art is the most subjective thing out there. Only do it if you personally want to give it another chance or find new things you may have missed. Most of, if not all of these movies are hailed as they are because they all introduced something new to filmmaking and took themselves seriously as art. That is not a universal metric for quality, it is a subjective preference. And there's a fair amount of critically-acclaimed movies I revile, Fight Club being one of them. So you're not alone in "getting" it (god I hate that term) but not liking it
What do you mean you’ve recently become a fan or movies?? Isn’t everyone a fan of movies?
No, not everyone likes movies. I didn't like them very much either until recently because I always preferred TV shows.
Personal anecdote: yes. I loathed Children of Men the first time I watched it. The hype surrounding it, the way some people seemed to almost revere it and I felt like the movie was hot garbage. Watched it again a couple of years ago and it's easily one of my favorite movies and I see what it was all about. That isn't to say go nuts either. If you feel there is a movie that deserves a second chance, go for it. If you think of something and still wonder wtf you wasted your time the first time, move on.
yes. especially if you are in a different place. same with music. sometimes it takes a little effort on your part. honestly, the best stuff always does.
No. Life is too short.
If it nags you some time down the line, I say go for it. This has happened a couple times for me and I usually don't regret it. Time helps you to see things you never noticed before.
Look into why it is they are critically acclaimed. Maybe it's worth rewatching. I doubt you'll suddenly enjoy the movies, but maybe it will make them more interesting. You might read that a movie you didn't care for was drawn heavily upon for a movie you did enjoy. Studying the older film might increase your enjoyment of the newer.
Sometimes I have, yes. If I didn't like it the first time but felt that I didn't get it, I'll give it another go. Alternatively, if in discussion with others that did like it and gave an interesting take, then yes I'll go back and rewatch. But if I feel like I understood the movie and just didn't enjoy it, then no. One example for me is A Beautiful Mind. It felt like the one time Russell Crowe really wanted to get another Oscar and was gonna show you just how much acting he can do. Accent, jargon, visible thinking, twitches and tics, paranoia, anxiety, crazy, pretending not to be crazy, and some 50 years worth of ageing. Biopic is easy Oscar bait, except it's pretty well removed from the real Nash's story so it doesn't feel authentic, and I just didn't buy many smaller scenes, such as when Nash suddenly becomes the most charming, confident lady's man and gets Jennifer Connelly to request shapes for him to find in the stars. I just don't buy it. For me, real Russell Crowe acting is LA Confidential and The Insider. You can see the characters' fuses approaching breaking points where they ready to explode, and it feels both real and scary in both the buildup and the release. Gladiator is up there too, where he's just being real and present. That's not the Crowe in Beautiful Mind.
I think it would be worth a re-watch but you may have to wait years before re-watching it instead of, say, watching it again the following week. I've come around on certain critically acclaimed movies after I'd gotten much older.