Do movie critics ever sway your decision to go see a movie in the theater? And do you pay attention to things like the Rotten Tomatoes score, which is a percentage rating of all the critic’s reviews for each film? Or are you someone who sees a movie regardless of whether it has positive or negative reviews, simply because it interests you?
I ask these questions because I’ve noticed over the past year, I’ve gone to a number of movies that were poorly reviewed by plenty of critics, yet I still thoroughly enjoyed them. Movies such as “Collateral Beauty”, “A Dog’s Purpose”, “Ghost In The Shell”, “King Arthur”, and “Everything, Everything” to name a few. Personally, I don’t like reading critic’s reviews of films for this very reason, as I don’t want to become biased by their opinion, even when the majority of them may be saying the same thing.
Watching movies is like viewing a piece of art. It moves a person individually in a unique way because of where they are at in life and what they’ve gone through. Take “Collateral Beauty” for example. It was loathed by the majority of critics in this country, each claiming it was far too unbelievable. Me, on the other hand, went into the movie with no expectations and emerged several hours lately spiritually charged and feeling quite uplifted. Why so many critics didn’t like it, I have no idea. But my point is that if I had listened to all those negative reviews or based my decision on its Rotten Tomatoes score, which in this case was a measly 14% (meaning 86% of the critics in this country hated it), I probably wouldn’t have gone to the theater and never known how much it would have touched my soul.
Another case in point is with a film I just went to the other day, that being the 2017 remake of “Flatliners”. It actually received a dreadful score of 4% on Rotten Tomatoes (meaning 96% of critics shunned it), yet I was determined to see it anyway because of my great love of the original. And you know what, I absolutely adored it. I appreciate the director’s take on the update, as much as I did the original. I also liked the younger cast of actors and actresses and I treasured its underlying message on forgiveness, one that moved me so much that I cried by the end of it, because so often in my life my ego refused to forgive both myself and others, the result of which made me greatly suffer on my spiritual journey.
Thus, my point is this. If we always base our life’s decisions on what other people say, we may miss out on beautiful opportunities for our Higher Guidance to show up in our lives and bless us in ways we might never expect. Movies truly are like art and appreciation for them can vary greatly from one person to the next. Just because the majority of critics despise a film doesn’t mean you will too. So, my suggestion is this. When you find your spirit perk up while watching a preview of it or reading a promotion about it, go see it when it comes out, even if the majority of critics say to avoid it. You might just discover a diamond in the rough in the process and a greater connection to your Higher Self as well. And wouldn’t that alone be worth it on your spiritual journey in life?
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
