LWell, we’ve all done it. I thought to myself as I left the movie theater.What did I just see? ”
Some of the most popular movies ever made are some of the most baffling, and some completely mislead viewers about what the movie is about.
Whether we’re talking about offbeat comedies like Junoor tense psychological dramas such as fight clubmovie history is full of examples of movies where viewers, at least some viewers, seem to have completely missed the point.
This could be due to the audience bringing their own preconceptions into what they’re seeing, or simply falling into a rabbit hole of cinematic conspiracy theories.
In some cases, it’s not just the audience who doesn’t understand the story. The Rambo series began as a scathing statement against violence, and then turned into a dizzying endorsement of the same violence it once condemned.
Sometimes directors and actors even have to speak out against misinterpretations of their work – Hugo Weaving ruthlessly dispels misconceptions about cinema. matrix and V for Vendetta.
Here are 17 movies where audiences missed the point…
american psycho
Mary Harron’s dark comedy was criticized at the time of its release for its hilarious violence, in which wealthy psychopath Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) brutally targets and murders men and women alike. Bret Easton Ellis’s original novel was actually more misunderstood than the film, but both became accepted as punchy, purposeful social satire.
counselor
The Ridley Scott-directed thriller received backlash from both critics and audiences when it was released in theaters in 2013, but Cormac McCarthy’s script made the film a mess of over-the-top violence and over-the-top sex. was ignored as such. But history has been kind to the film, which has become increasingly accepted as an intelligent and surprisingly layered twist on a well-worn genre.
cuties
Sometimes misunderstandings can get completely out of control.The same goes for French dramas. cutieswas at the center of political turmoil in 2020 over the sexualization of children. problem? cuties In fact, this work was created as an explicit critique of the sexualization of children, skewering the sexism and objectification at the heart of our culture.
Fabelmans
Given director Steven Spielberg’s sentimental reputation, perhaps it’s no surprise that his autobiographical drama was dismissed by many viewers as a bizarre love letter to him. cinema. But a closer look at the film’s message reveals a dark, tearing undercurrent. It’s about the filmmaker taking a scalpel to the dark psychology behind his art.
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fight club
It’s easy to see why viewers think fight club More or less that’s how the film was promoted, as a macho endorsement of male brutality. But beneath the premise of David Fincher’s 1999 drama was a harsh (if overblown) critique of masculinity and capitalism.A laughably misguided release fight club Video games were the icing on the cake.
fool’s paradise
It’s always sunny in Philadelphia Star Charlie Day failed to impress critics and audiences with his directorial debut fool’s paradise, a comedy set in the world of Hollywood. Much of the criticism focused on Day’s nonverbal protagonist, who was said to lack charisma and be boring to watch. But Day says this was a deliberate choice to emphasize white men’s failure to move upward. “The point of this satire is that it’s not the charismatic, funny character that they need,” he said. independent person “You made this choice, you made a big change, and you have to accept it.”
goodfellas
clear anti-crime message goodfellas You might imagine that Martin Scorsese’s 1990 drama is more or less devoted to showing horrible people doing horrible things. Nevertheless, in recent years, and in the never-ending debate surrounding superhero movies, there have been more and more claims that Scorsese’s films are designed to make crime look cool. mistaken!
josie and the pussycats
This 2001 music industry satire was panned when it was first released, with criticism focusing on its rampant product placement and obvious superficiality. However, many critics simply did not give the film credit. Flamboyant commercialism was part of the film’s satirical message, and that message has only gotten stronger since then.
Juno
Diablo Cody’s teen comedy starred Elliot Page as a precocious 16-year-old who decides to carry an accidental pregnancy through to term. The film was embraced by many pro-life activists who considered the film’s message to be anti-abortion. However, this was never the intention, as Page also stated: “The thing that annoys me the most is that people call this movie a pro-life movie. That’s just ridiculous…The most important thing is that the choice is there. This movie totally nails that. is showing.”
matrix
Most people could be forgiven for missing the trans metaphor at the heart of this film. matrix When I debuted for the first time. At the time, it was publicly believed that the Wachowski brothers’ filmmaking team consisted of two cisgender men. Years after the film’s release, the Wachowskis have acknowledged that the film was intended as a metaphor for the trans experience, and back in 1999, most viewers had that in mind. An interpretation like this came to mind. matrix Meanwhile, the famous “red pill/blue pill” image from the alt-right movie, which has entered the dictionary, was also strangely off-base. Starring Hugo Weaving later said, “This is a very shallow reading of the film’s intentions.”
Rambo: First Blood
Everyone thinks of Rambo as a gritty ode to violent revenge, but that misconception is amplified by the sequel’s violent excesses. But Sylvester Stallone’s original film was actually a sharp exploration of war and violence, and audiences were supposed to watch in horror rather than enjoy it.
showgirl
Director Paul Verhoeven’s erotic drama was criticized when it was first released, with the dialogue and sex scenes drawing derision from audiences. However, this was actually the filmmaker’s intention, and Verhoeven later admitted that the film’s giddy, bombastic tone was all an intentional part of the satire.
Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace
George Lucas’ sci-fi prequel was widely rejected when it was first released, and there are a number of notable reasons why. But some of the contempt was unwarranted. Since then, revisionists have praised the film for its deliberate portrayal of Jedi complacency, and that the film secretly functions as a far more subtle political metaphor than originally appreciated. There is. But that still doesn’t excuse Jar Jar Binks.
space warrior
Paul Verhoeven may be good at making movies that are misunderstood. Perhaps the Dutch director continues to get lost in translation.but space warrior Another classic example is that although the film was criticized for its broad, patriotic tale of military adventure, it was actually a clever and fearless satire of the American war machine and its accompanying propaganda.
V for Vendetta
Adapted into a comic in 2005, this anti-establishment message resonated with many viewers. The image of the central character, the masked revolutionary “V”, was particularly impressive. But Guy Fawkes-style masks similar to those worn by the character were quickly adopted by real-life protesters, including those on the far right. V Star Hugo Weaving vehemently disagreed with that interpretation, saying: daily beast: “I’m baffled by it. This shows how people don’t read beneath the surface. They don’t read between the lines. They take what they think is cool and Even if the original intent or meaning of the thing was completely opposite, I repurpose it to suit myself.”
wall street
Is greed a good thing? If you take Oliver Stone’s acclaimed ’80s drama at face value, yes. Many did, and Michael Douglas’ Gordon Gecko became a symbol of corporate money-grabbing ambition, but if you read between the lines, it turns out to be both a compelling and scathing critique. You’ll understand.
wolf of wall street
As played by Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s crime blockbuster wolf of wall street, stock market star Jordan Belfort is a charismatic con artist, but also a despicable human being. Despite the film going to great lengths to show how corrupt Belfort has become over the course of its three-hour running time, many people see Belfort as a somewhat ambitious figure and the movie ends with a lot of effort. I walked away from him.it was wall street Once again.