Summary
- Recent award-winning movies are divisive due to controversial themes, bold aesthetics, and complex plots.
- Audience reactions often echo critics' divided opinions on films like Don't Look Up, The Hateful Eight, and Eternals.
- Conflicting views on movies like Mother! and Prometheus are fueled by strong themes and legacy expectations.
Some recent movies that have won multiple prestigious awards or broken records at the box office were incredibly divisive, with critics either hating them or loving them. This is reflected in flat-out contradictory statements from different well-known reviewers, or middling Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores from the two extremes balancing each other out. This might be caused by the movie focusing on controversial subject matter, featuring bold aesthetic choices that some people find overwhelming, or comprising allegedly confusing plots.
Meanwhile, general audiences might be similarly divided. Movies including Don't Look Up, Babylon, and, of course, Star Wars: The Last Jedi split audiences and critics alike down the middle. The very elements that one group argued to be the movie's biggest weaknesses, the others argued to be its defining strengths. However, it is also common for audiences and critics to disagree: What audiences think is an entertaining movie critics find meaningless, while what critics think is profound audiences think is dull or too complicated.
10 Don't Look Up (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 55% | Metacritic: 49% | Audience Score: 78%
Don't Look Up follows two astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) desperately trying to warn humanity about an approaching comet that they believe could wipe out all life on Earth. When the President (Meryl Streep) and her son (Jonah Hill) ignore their warnings, they embark on a media tour to enlighten the public, earning the ire of the global populace who refuse to believe in the danger. Meanwhile, an eccentric billionaire (Mark Rylance) begins to fund an emergency colonization mission to take humanity out among the stars.
- Release Date
- December 10, 2021
- Runtime
- 145 minutes
- Director
- Adam McKay
Don't Look Up is a very timely movie that vividly depicts America's ability to polarize any issue, a facet that also brought criticism down upon it. Some critics complained that the movie's political commentary was too on the nose, and it was overwhelmed by its star-studded ensemble cast. By all means, it should work: A lauded screenwriter addresses current world events with several Oscar-winning actors to carry the story. Certain moments might be overly dramatic, but it is satire. divided critics and audiences, making it all the more surprising when it scored a Best Picture nomination.
9 Spring Breakers (2012)
Rotten Tomatoes: 68% | Metacritic: 63% | Audience Score: 38%
Spring Breakers centers on Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Cotty (Rachel Korine), and Faith (Selena Gomez), four best friends who need money for a Spring Break vacation. To fast-track their funds, Brit, Candy, and Cotty commit armed robbery at a local restaurant and then leave for Florida with Brit. The four girls then become involved with Alien (James Franco), a drug dealer who claims to be from another planet.
- Release Date
- March 15, 2013
- Runtime
- 94minutes
- Director
- Harmony Korine
The comparison between Don't Look Up and Spring Breakers in of their content, scores, and the former's Oscar nomination is bizarre. Roger Ebert (via rogerebert.com) argued that Spring Breakers "challenges us to think about the hedonistic hell that of that annual ritual." Heather Long (via The Guardian) notably argued that its objectified depiction of women "reinforces rape culture." Spring Breakers' reception is a clash between whether is it empowering or objectifying; whether the way its characters are depicted must be considered in the context of its commentary.
Aisha Harris also argued (via Spring Breakers 2.
Why Emma Roberts Left Harmony Korine's Controversial Spring Breakers
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8 The Hateful Eight (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% | Metacritic: 68% | Audience Score: 77%
The Hateful Eight
WHERE TO WATCH
Quentin Tarantino's 2015 Western incorporates elements of the mystery and thriller genres. Set in 1877, The Hateful Eight follows eight strangers who seek refuge from a blizzard in an isolated stagecoach stopover. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, and Channing Tatum, The Hateful Eight was inspired by the Western TV shows of 1960s.
- Release Date
- December 25, 2015
- Runtime
- 188 Minutes
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
No one can agree if The Hateful Eight's characters can carry that runtime or if the movie is redundant and boring.
Sean Burns aptly and memorably described (via The Hateful Eight is an underrated gem or if its shortcomings define it. However, The Hateful Eight is still decidedly not Tarantino's best movie.
7 Interstellar (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes: 73% | Metacritic: 74% | Audience Score: 86%
From Christopher Nolan, Interstellar imagines a future where the Earth is plagued by a life-threatening famine, and a small team of astronauts is sent out to find a new prospective home among the stars. Despite putting the mission first, Coop (Matthew McConaughey) races against time to return home to his family even as they work to save mankind back on Earth.
- Release Date
- November 7, 2014
- Runtime
- 169 Minutes
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
To be a mid-tier Christopher Nolan movie... Interstellar does not quite meet the praise of Inception or The Dark Knight, and certainly not Oppenheimer, but it is not at the bottom of the pile either. Its biggest strengths are Matthew McConaughey's performance and the scientific basis of the plot. The biggest complaint about Interstellar is that its emotional storylines undermine the science. Ebert gave a middling review but said that Interstellar's "state-of-the-art sci-fi landscapes are deployed in service of Hallmark card homilies about how people should live, and what’s really important" (rogerebert.com).
6 Eternals (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 47% | Metacritic: 52% | Audience Score: 77%
Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao, follows a group of ancient aliens who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years. The film explores their reunion in the face of an unexpected tragedy and the threat posed by their age-old adversaries, the Deviants. Released in 2021, the film expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Release Date
- November 5, 2021
- Runtime
- 156 minutes
- Director
- Chloé Zhao
Eternals brought with it Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao and a characteristically lauded MCU cast. Eternals garnered mixed reviews because it is quite simply unlike anything the MCU has put out before, more philosophical with a completely new aesthetic and tone. However, the awkward narrative of introducing a completely new team of heroes unsurprisingly heralded criticism. While the critical scores land almost exactly in the middle of the scale, audience scores are higher. Yet fans are still divided, especially because it is not clear how Eternals will fit into the larger MCU story.
5 Uncut Gems (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | Metacritic: 92% | Audience Score: 52%
A crime thriller from Josh and Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems follows New York jeweler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) as his gambling addiction forces him to associate with increasingly dangerous individuals. After receiving an incredibly rare black opal, Howard believes he can finally free himself of his mounting debts, but not without engaging in one final high-stakes balancing act while fending off violent loan sharks.
- Release Date
- December 13, 2019
- Runtime
- 134 minutes
- Director
- Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie
Uncut Gems is less divisive among the critics themselves, with some of the most consistently high scores for a movie that wasn't nominated for any Oscars. Only CNN and Slate's reviewers seem to have had anything bad to say about it (via metacritic.com) — other than the audience itself. According to Owen Gleiberman (via Variety), Uncut Gems "is a drama that offers a pure, undiluted hit of mad-dog momentum and pinwheeling existential ordinary-dude insanity, to the point that even a number of hardcore indie-film buffs say they find the movie a bit too relentless for comfort."
4 Mother! (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 69% | Metacritic: 76% | Audience Score: 51%
Mother!
Cast
Ed Harris
Michelle Pfeiffer
Mother! is a psychological horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky. Released in 2017, it stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem as a couple whose serene life is upended when unexpected visitors arrive at their home, challenging their relationship and shattering their peace.
- Release Date
- September 13, 2017
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
- Director
- Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronfonsky's horror Mother! drew a line among critics, each side harboring opposing views that could not be reconciled. So completely steeped in reality-bending symbolism, even leading woman Jennifer Lawrence doesn't completely understand Mother!. said According to Yohana Desta (via Vanity Fair),
"For all intents and purposes, Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! is the most divisive film of the year. Some people love it with a zeal reserved for only the cultiest of cult classics; others hated it so much that they’re still drubbing it."
Critics were split over whether the allegories were effective or redundant. Mother! was so divisive that it received both a standing ovation and boos at the Venice Film Festival (via Corriere).
3 Prometheus (2012)
Rotten Tomatoes: 73% | Metacritic: 64% | Audience Score: 68%
Prometheus
WHERE TO WATCH
2012's Prometheus is the fifth installment in the Alien franchise and was directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Guy Pearce, the film acts as a direct prequel to 1979's Alien.
- Release Date
- June 8, 2012
- Runtime
- 124 Minutes
- Director
- Ridley Scott
Prometheus would probably be considered a better movie if it were reviewed solely for its own merits. However, it bears the weight of Alien's legacy and includes some continuity errors. Ryan Britt agreed (via Inverse) that Prometheus' problems are probably due to what people expected it to be, calling it "one of the most misunderstood sci-fi movies of all time." Britt said:
"[Prometheus is] not a better movie than 1979’s Alien. But, by most metrics of what sci-fi actually is, Prometheus is a better science fiction movie than Alien. [...] Ridley Scott made an Alien prequel that no one wanted about huge philosophical subjects that are hard to discuss."
2 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | Metacritic: 84% | Audience Score: 42%
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
WHERE TO WATCH
Star Wars: The Last Jedi continues the saga as Rey hones her powers under the guidance of Luke Skywalker. As her abilities unsettle her mentor, the Resistance faces the First Order in a pivotal battle.
- Release Date
- December 13, 2017
- Runtime
- 152 minutes
- Director
- Rian Johnson
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is notoriously divisive among the Star Wars fandom. The second movie of the sequel trilogy has beautiful visuals, powerful moments where the iconic music swells, well-planned fight sequences, and appropriate moments of fan service. However, the fandom was divided over characters gaining completely new powers through the Force, Luke’s contradictory arc, and the detour of the casino sequence.
As for the critics, most of them reviewed The Last Jedi well. However, even critics who praised the movie put an asterisk on the bizarre twists regarding the Force. Ebert its that plot twists “usually don’t violate the (ittedly loose) internal logic of the universe George Lucas invented, and when they seem to, it’s because the movie has expanded the mythology in a small but significant way, or imported a sliver of something from another variant of Lucas’ creation” (rogerebert.com).
10 Most Divisive Movies In Recent Memory
There have been several movies in recent memory that, for one reason or another, have divided critics, split audiences, and riled up filmgoers.
1 Babylon (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 57% | Metacritic: 61% | Audience Score: 52%
Babylon is a film by director Damien Chazelle (La La Land) that focuses on characters during the great Hollywood boom - when silent films moved to talking pictures, and the medium was reinvented. During this era of decadence and glamorous lifestyles in pure excess, Babylon explores the rise and fall of fictional Hollywood greats that mirror nonfictional actors and actresses throughout American history.
- Release Date
- December 23, 2022
- Runtime
- 189minutes
- Director
- Damien Chazelle
While negative reviews came to the forefront, some fervent defenders emerged: Strangely, Stephen King has defended Babylon.
Following the success of La La Land, director Damien Chazelle returned with another drama about Hollywood, with a new star-studded cast. Leading woman Margot Robbie notably gave an ethereal performance as Sharon Tate in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino's Hollywood epic. Babylon seemed like it was set up for reasonable success, yet it bombed at the box office.
Stephen King has defended Babylon. These opposing views might simply be due to differing personal tastes. However, Babylon and other divisive movies have become some of the most interesting Hollywood stories.
Source: rogerebert.com, The Guardian, Slate, wbur.org, metacritic.com, Variety, Vanity Fair, Corriere, Inverse
