And this is why I only really care what critics think. Maybe that makes me pretentious or a movie snob, but fuck it. I like paying attention and analyzing movies (along with books, music, video games, etc.), and IMO, the average viewer can’t handle being asked to think about anything with more depth than a bird bath. On the other hand, 90% of the people that are paid to put a little critical thought into their media consumption reviewed The Northman positively, and I agree with them. It was fucking great, and I don’t care what the unwashed masses think.
When critics and audiences agree, I generally know I’m in for an enjoyable experience, but probably nothing too great. But when critics love it and audiences don’t, I get excited.
This is definitely true. Seeing who liked or disliked a film is particularly helpful (to my mind, even more so when talking about music). On average, I tend to prefer the taste of critics and other people who dedicate their energy and thought to analyzing a particular media form, but beyond a simple RT/Metacritic score, I prefer to see who wrote what.
And this is why I only really care what critics think. Maybe that makes me pretentious or a movie snob, but fuck it. I like paying attention and analyzing movies (along with books, music, video games, etc.), and IMO, the average viewer can’t handle being asked to think about anything with more depth than a bird bath. On the other hand, 90% of the people that are paid to put a little critical thought into their media consumption reviewed The Northman positively, and I agree with them. It was fucking great, and I don’t care what the unwashed masses think.
When critics and audiences agree, I generally know I’m in for an enjoyable experience, but probably nothing too great. But when critics love it and audiences don’t, I get excited.
Reviews are only useful insofar as you vibe with the reviewer. If you’ve got really specific taste, mass appeal isn’t a helpful data point.
This is definitely true. Seeing who liked or disliked a film is particularly helpful (to my mind, even more so when talking about music). On average, I tend to prefer the taste of critics and other people who dedicate their energy and thought to analyzing a particular media form, but beyond a simple RT/Metacritic score, I prefer to see who wrote what.