Summary

• Babylon, directed by Damien Chazelle, divided audiences due to its ambitious but exhausting nature. Despite a star-studded cast, the film failed to resonate as a cohesive whole.
• Eternals, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, divided viewers with its complex lore and introspective tone. The divided reception makes a sequel uncertain.
• The Whale, directed by Darren Aronofsky, was polarizing for its portrayal of binge-eating and depression, with critics arguing that it reinforced stereotypes. However, Brendan Fraser's performance was widely acclaimed.

There have been plenty of movies in recent memory that have divided audiences and critics for an array of different reasons. Divisive movies often spark major debates among viewers and lead to polarizing discussions and opinions. A movie can be divisive for many reasons, but usually, it comes down to audiences’ perceptions not being met, controversial content and graphic depictions of violence, or beloved characters not being portrayed in a way that feels consistent with their previously established tendencies.

Looking at the most divisive movies released since 2016, there was a vast array of movies that divided critics and split audiences in many different ways. The grand and ambitious works of directors like Damien Chazelle and Ridley Scott were met with a polarized response from filmgoers. The committed performances of actors like Brendan Frasier and Jennifer Lawrence were acclaimed by critics, while at the same time, the movies they starred in led to heated debates about the merits of their divisive films.

10 Babylon (2022)

Directed by Damien Chazelle

Damien Chazelle’s epic chronicle of Hollywood’s transition from silent to sound films in 1920s Babylon was a highly anticipated film that deeply divided audiences when it was released in 2022. With a star-studded ensembled cast including Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, Babylon has all the markings of a director’s magnum opus, that, despite its ambition, did not resonate with a wide audience. While Babylon did have its champions, the critical consensus was that it was an exhausting, polarizing film that, despite strong moments, did not come together as a cohesive whole. Babylon was a spectacle that divided audiences, and, unfortunately, crumbled under the weight of its lofty ambition.

9 Eternals (2021)

Directed by Chloé Zhao

Yet another entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Eternals was a divisive film when it was released in 2021 as one side of audiences commended it as an ambitious new direction for the MCU, while others criticized it as confusing and overblown. With an ensemble cast featuring Angelina Jolie, Barry Keoghan, and Kit Harrington, Eternals more than three-hour runtime and complex lore was too much for some viewers to take. Eternals took on a different tone than previous MCU entries and was more introspective and philosophical than the average action-driven superhero film. The divided reception to Eternals now means that a sequel is uncertain.

8 The Whale (2022)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

The Whale told the story of a morbidly obese man attempting to reconnect with his teenage daughter and was a deeply polarizing film due to its portrayal of binge-eating, depression, and food addiction, which Roxanne Gay of the New York Times stated The Whale reinforced anti-fat stereotypes and preconceptions (via New York Times.) Despite criticisms like these Brendan Frasier's performance as Charlie, the obese English professor, was widely acclaimed and he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this role.

7 Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

Directed by Zack Snyder

Unfortunately, Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a deeply flawed film that attempted to mimic the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s success before DC had laid the appropriate groundwork. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice divided fans and critics, and, despite achieving great success at the box office, the film was criticized for its political messaging, clunky editing, and character motivations. Overall, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice failed to convincingly kickstart this new cinematic universe, although the release of the Snyder director’s cut did improve upon some of these issues.

6 Mother! (2017)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky’s psychological horror Mother! was highly divisive due to its graphic depictions of violence and biblical allegories. Despite receiving acclaim for its direction and committed lead performance by Jennifer Lawrence, Mother! was the target of backlash and was received both boos and a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival (via Corriere) an appropriate representation of the film’s overall reception. As a deeply unsettling and outrageous spectacle, Mother! was certainly not a film for everybody. Mother! was praised by Martin Scorsese in a Hollywood Reporter column while simultaneously labeled by the New York Observer as the worst movie of the year.

5 The Last Duel (2021)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel was a critically acclaimed epic historical drama that audiences just did not turn out for. The Last Duel starred Matt Damon and told a story of systematic misogyny through multiple perspectives in a sprawling and complex narrative. The Last Duel divided critics and audiences and made just $30 million on a budget of $100 million. The director, Ridley Scott, lashed out against the viewers in an interview on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron, stating the film failed because of millennials who “do not ever want to be taught anything unless you are told it on the cell phone.”

4 Elvis (2022)

Directed by Baz Luhramann

Baz Luhrmann’s epic biopic Elvis was a huge success and its star Austin Butler received widespread acclaim for his committed performance as Elvis Presley. However, Elvis also received its fair share of criticism and divided viewers, who took issue with the 159-minute runtime and Tom Hanks’ performance as Colonel Tom Parker. While some felt Hanks’ weird performance in Elvis was perfect, others, such as David Ehrlich writing for Indiewire said his performance was defined by “a fat suit, a fake nose, and an accent that I can only describe as the ‘Kentucky Fried Goldmember’” going on to say he makes “Jar-Jar Binks seem like Elliott Gould in ‘The Long Goodbye.’”

3 The House That Jack Built (2018)

Directed by Lars Von Trier

The House That Jack Built was a divisive psychological horror by Lars Von Trier due to its graphic depictions of violence. The film follows Jack, played by Matt Dillon, as a serial killer who commits multiple heinous acts over 12 years. The House That Jack Built is one of the most extreme and controversial in Lars Von Trier’s incredibly divisive career. The film was described as both a “wild masterpiece” by Indiewire and an “an ordeal of gruesomeness and tiresomeness” by the Guardian.

2 Joker (2019)

Directed by Todd Philips

As the Joker's similarity to previous Martin Scorsese movies like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy.

1 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Directed by Rian Johnson

The second installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Last Jedi was one of the most divisive movies in recent memory as audiences and critics were both divided over the direction the series should take. While The Last Jedi got some things right, the portrayal of Luke Skywalker felt inconsistent with the original trilogy and the film failed to address burning questions related to Snoke’s identity and Rey’s parentage. To this day, The Last Jedi’s mixed reception has affected the Star Wars franchise and led to Disney focusing more on their better recieved television output than the deeply controversial Star Wars films.

Sources: New York Times, Corriere, Hollywood Reporter, New York Observer, WTF with Marc Maron, Indiewire, Indiewire, the Guardian