Alright, cinephiles. While we can all appreciate cinema, unfortunately, as with all great art, we can’t all agree on which movies we actually like. Case in point: In this Reddit thread from user liveforevaLG, people shared highly regarded films that critics lauded and/or that audiences loved, but they absolutely hated — and I, for one, was gobsmacked by some of the mentions. Here’s what people said:
1. “One movie that I turned off (which I rarely do, even with bad movies) was Moulin Rouge.”
What it’s about: “Set against the backdrop of a spectacular Moulin Rouge show, an idealistic young writer is drafted into a bohemian entourage and falls in love with an ambitious but doomed showgirl who is caught between the hero and a ruthless duke.”
Who’s in it: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh
2. “Saltburn. I hate this movie. I hate how it has no substance. I hate that it doesn’t deliver what it promised. I HATE THAT PEOPLE LOVED THIS MOVIE. It’s just The Talented Mr. Ripley without anything that made that movie good, and it was also written by someone who doesn’t understand class, how smart Mr. Ripley was in the movie, or how he charmed his way in properly. I hate Saltburn.”
What it’s about: “A student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate, who invites him to his eccentric family’s sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten.”
Who’s in it: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Richard E. Grant
3. “I don’t think there’s any super acclaimed, well-liked movie that I despise, but I don’t think American Sniper is a good movie.”
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What’s it about: “Navy S.E.A.L. sniper Chris Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home with his family after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.”
Who’s in it: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman
4. “American Hustle. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why it was well received. The tone is all over the place. It isn’t engaging. None of the characters are worth rooting for, and the editing is terrible, and most of the cast gave career-worst performances.”
What’s it about: “Two con artists are forced to work for a wild FBI agent who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and the Mafia.”
Who’s in it: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence
5. “Oppenheimer did absolutely nothing for me. I tried so hard to enjoy it.”
What’s it about: “A dramatization of the life story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who had a large hand in the development of the atomic bombs that brought an end to World War II.”
Who’s in it: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr. Benny Safdie, Rami Malek
6. “Everything Everywhere All at Once. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Hated it.”
What’s it about: “A middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.”
Who’s in it: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, James Hong
7. “Avatar. The guy spent 10 years, and all he could come up with was a story about a white man who is shown the light by wise Indigenous people.”
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What’s it about: “A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.”
Who’s in it: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi
8. “The Odyssey. For all their spectacle and ambition, Christoper Nolan films are frustratingly lifeless.”
“That’s exactly how I felt about The Odyssey. Stunning visuals but so, so, so very emotionally empty.”
What’s it about: “After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso along the way.”
Who’s in it: Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Himesh Patel, John Leguizamo, Jon Bernthal, Travis Scott, Elliot Page
9. “Joker. I absolutely hated it. I thought it was self-important and way less deep than it thought it was. I just thought it was gross. There were scenes that I found so in poor taste that I wanted to leave the theater. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance that everyone praised, was just a garbled caricature of mental illness. I was sad because I like Joaquin Phoenix.”
What’s it about: “Arthur Fleck, a party clown and a failed stand-up comedian, leads an impoverished life with his ailing mother. However, when society shuns him and brands him as a freak, he decides to embrace the life of chaos in Gotham City.”
Who’s in it: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz
10. “The Conjuring. That whole franchise is a plague on modern horror.”
What’s it about: “Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.”
Who’s in it: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, and Ron Livingston
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11. “Barbie. It didn’t resonate with me at all, and I thought the ‘message’ was really poorly executed. I’m a massive leftie politically, but it was just a bit cringe. I’m sure I’m a minority here!”
What’s it about: “Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.”
Who’s in it: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Ariana Greenblatt, America Ferrera
12. “La La Land. As a huge musicals fan, I was really looking forward to it, but I didn’t enjoy any of the songs and thought Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling were too amateur to capture that Old Hollywood feeling they were going for.”
What’s it about: “When Sebastian, a pianist, and Mia, an actress, follow their passion and achieve success in their respective fields, they find themselves torn between their love for each other and their careers.”
Who’s in it: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling
13. “Anora. I know it was well done for what it was trying to do; I just really hated what it was trying to do.”
What’s it about: “A young stripper from Brooklyn impulsively marries the son of Russian oligarchs, but her fairy tale is threatened when his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.”
Who’s in it: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov
14. “The Irishman. I love Scorsese, De Niro, and Pacino, but they really missed the mark on this one.”
What’s it about: “An illustration of Frank Sheeran’s life, from W.W.II veteran to hit-man for the Bufalino crime family and his alleged assassination of his close friend Jimmy Hoffa.”
Who’s in it: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, Stephan Graham, Anna Paquin, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Jesse Plemons
15. “Frankenstein bummed me out a bit because I loved all the visuals (Guillermo del Toro’s strength), but found the movie itself pretty flat and boring.”
What’s it about: “Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.”
Who’s in it: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Charles Dance, Mia Goth
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16. “Forrest Gump. I find it irritating, not funny, and the schtick isn’t very interesting as a story. It feels weirdly pandering, and I couldn’t care less about anyone in the movie.”
What’s it about: “The history of the United States from the 1950s to the ’70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.”
Who’s in it: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Mykelti Williamson
17. “Marnie (1964). Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren have no chemistry, and the romance between their characters makes no sense. As the backstories are revealed, the movie gets more and more ridiculous. It makes Basic Instinct look sophisticated.”
What’s it about: “Mark marries Marnie although she is a habitual thief and has serious psychological problems, and tries to help her confront and resolve them.”
Who’s in it: Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery
18. “When I saw Black Swan, I thought it was high camp without self-awareness. I thought it would be viewed like Showgirls in a few years. I can’t believe people take it seriously.”
What’s it about: “An insecure ballerina finally gets the role she has always dreamed of, but as the pressures mount her line between reality and illusion starts to blur.”
Who’s in it: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder
19. And lastly, “Recently, Marty Supreme.”
What’s it about: “Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.”
Who’s in it: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher, Odessa A’zion, Koto Kawaguchi, Tyler, The Creator
What are your thoughts on these films? Are there movies that have been raved about that aren’t to your tastes? Let us know in the comments! Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can fill out the form below.
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