Critics matter now more than ever. In the past, there were no aggregate scores of reviews because sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic didn’t exist. For decades, audiences watched anything they could find without first stopping to see if the papers were full of praise but nowadays, reviews partially determine how well a movie will perform at the box office or the number of streams it will get.
Consequently, filmmakers care more about what the critics have to say. Success or failure is now not only determined by earnings and accolades alone but also by veneration from media houses and websites. And even though most directors soak up the criticisms and vow to do better next time, a few others have reacted harshly whenever they felt their work was being misunderstood
12James Gray — The Immigrant (2013)
James Gray has made more good movies than bad ones and at the moment, only three of his projects are considered “rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes. The director has understandably become so used to being commended that he lashed out when The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave a negative review ofThe Immigrantafter the Cannes Film Festival.
According toFilmmaker Magazine, Gray described Bradshaw’s take as “the dumbest review I’ve ever read.” He added that Bradshaw’s decision to make fun of a singing scene in the movie didn’t make sense because it “is actually the recreation of an actual event.”
Gray’s anger was surprising considering that the film mostly received positive reviews and scored 83% on the Tomatometer. However, he had a point because it’s not a crime for a director to try and ensure his film is as historically accurate as possible. Perhaps Gray could have shot it better, but given that many other critics were okay with what he did, the verdict favors the filmmaker more than the critic in this scenario.
11Kevin Smith - Cop Out (2010)
Bad reviews are nothing new for Kevin Smith, yetCop Outwas so poorly received that the filmmaker became incensed. Smith opted for the “it was never that serious” kind of argument, claiming that he only intended for buddy comedy to be a fun, guilty pleasure flick. As reported byIndieWire, the director felt that “writing a nasty review forCop Outis akin to bullying a retrded kid.” He added, “People are free to talk sht about any of my flicks, so long as they paid to see it.”
It’s difficult to defend Smith here, given the angle of his argument and his choice of wording. After all, it’s highly unlikely that any director ever chooses to make a big movie just for fun. Additionally, his claim that only audiences should be allowed to give negative reviews is debatable because, in every industry, there is always a select body whose job is to analyze quality and give recommendations.
10Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds (2008)
Quentin Tarantino is possibly one of thebest directors working today. Understandably, this has made him develop an ego, to the point where he believes critics can’t match his intelligence. In an interview withGQ, he declared, “I respect criticism, but I know more about film than most of the people writing about me,” adding, “I’m a better writer than most of the people writing about me. And I can write film criticism better than most of the people writing about me."
The first part of Tarantino’s remark is correct while the rest is debatable. But history has often favored him over the critics if box office and award ceremonies are any indication; take, for instance, the early negativity surrounding the release ofInglourious Basterds. Though it initially felt like the movie would be a dud, it turned out to be one of the best in the director’s illustrious career.
In all fairness,Suicide Squadisn’t a good superhero movie and fans have always been skeptical aboutDavid Ayer’s claims about the director’s cutbeing much better. When the movie came out, the director accepted most of the negative reviews but after sucking it in for a while, a tweet by IndieWire’s David Ehrlich, posted three years after the release, made him flip out.
According toDen of Geek, the critic was reacting to an announcement that a sequel by James Gunn was being made. He argued that it didn’t make sense to do a follow-up to a “dumb piece of sh** that literally every sane person on Earth hated.” Ayer shot back, insisting that it was wrong to “be hammered for something that was not my original vision.”
It’s yet another instance where the director was justified in his reaction because the critic’s words were not only overflowing with bile, but they also hadn’t been presented professionally. Furthermore, time proved the critic wrong because Gunn’sSuicide Squadfollow-up turned out to be so good that the director was even given responsibility over the entire franchise.
8Vincent Gallo - The Brown Bunny (2003)
Among themovies that stirred controversy before their releaseis Vincent Gallo’sThe Brown Bunny. The director also served as one of the two leads and in the film’s climax, he opted for a 10-minute oral sex scene between him and actress Chloë Sevigny. Questions were raised regarding the ethical aspect of it all, with many wondering whether Sevigny gave her consent. And among the people who called out Gallo the most was renowned critic Roger Ebert.
Gallo got so personal to the point of fat-shaming. According toThe Guardian, he labeled Ebert a “a fat pig with the physique of a slave trader.” The critic didn’t take the punch lying down. He delivered a retort, stating that “watching a colonoscopy video was more entertaining than watchingThe Brown Bunny.” Maybe both men were out of line, but there’s no denying that Ebert’s comeback was legendary, and that it was his job to express his opinion of the film.
7Dan Fogelman - Life Itself (2018)
When a director makes a movie that employs themes such as mental health, sexual abuse, and parenthood, they expect accolades, not harsh criticism. One can, therefore, understand Dan Fogelman’s decision to lash out after most reviews ofLife Itself(which ironically shares the name of a documentary about the aforementioned critic Roger Ebert) turned out to be negative, resulting in an 18% Rotten Tomatoes score. In an interview withTooFab, Fogelman claimed that he hated the “group speak” and that critics “don’t like anything that has any emotion.”
Apart from starring the likes of Olivia Wilde and Antonio Banderas,Life Itselfis narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, so Fogelman can be forgiven for believing that this was the kind of film that would ensure Oscar glory. Still, his claim that critics hate anything with emotion is wrong because emotional dramas generally make up the bulk of highly rated movies each year.
6Alex Proyas - Gods of Egypt (2016)
Sometimes negative reviews destroy filmmakers' esteem, and ever sinceGods of Egyptwas panned, Alex Proyas (best known forThe Crow, I, Robot,andDark City) hasn’t made another movie. While it’s still one of thebetter movies about Egyptian mythology, critics didn’t feel it was anything special and in reaction, the director opted for insults viaFacebook, labeling the people behind the reviews as a “a pack of diseased vultures pecking at the bones of a dying carcass."
Apart from a poor plot,Gods of Egypthad been lambasted for white-washing, something Proyas didn’t feel was corrected. According to him, all the people who felt that way were “deranged idiots.” Obviously, the talented filmmaker ought to have chosen better words, but here is to hoping he handles criticism much better when he makes his much-awaited Hollywood comeback.
5Uwe Boll - Various Movies
Uwe Boll’s movies are generally despised, and he even has a “Worst Career Achievement” trophy from the Razzies. None of his movies have scored higher than 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while he initially seemed okay with that, he eventually flipped out. Feeling the criticism was personal, Boll dared critics to a boxing much to settle things. Surprisingly, four agreed to do it, according toCinemablend.
Boll managed to knock each of them out, redeeming himself to nobody in the process. “I like now the critics,” the director admitted after the fight. In Boll’s defense,video game adaptations rarely do welland most of his projects fall under that particular category. A change of strategy might work well for him, so hopefully he’ll consider that. He might make a great original action movie if given the chance.
4Todd Phillips - Hangover Part III (2013)
Todd Phillips has little to complain about lately, thanks to his great work inJoker,but back when he madeHangover Part III, it seemed like his career was tumbling. After he was called out for the threequel’s poor plot, he insisted that critics were frustrated because they didn’t understand how the same characters could face the same predicament more than once. While being interviewed byVanity Fair, he basically told everyone to deal with it, stating, “It’s going to happen three times. F*** you,"
Both delusion and self-belief were in play here since Phillips believed he was a genius for recycling the same plot again and again, yet everyone else felt he ought to have tried something different. Since he is now working onJoker: Folie à Deux, fans and critics will be hoping that he doesn’t repeat the mistakes that were seen in theHangoverfranchise.
3Rob Schneider - Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999)
There is criticism, then there is taking things to the extreme. Well, Rob Schneider wasn’t having it when the Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein jokes that the sex comedy,Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolowas snubbed at the Oscars because there was no category for “Best Running Penis Joke Delivered by a Third-Rate Comic.” The director clapped back via full-page ads on The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
Schneider got personal, first taking aim at Goldstein’s alleged lack of accolades by writing, “I went online and found that you have won nothing. Absolutely nothing. No journalistic awards of any kind.” He went on, “Maybe you didn’t win a Pulitzer Prize because they haven’t invented a category for Best Third-Rate, Unfunny Pompous Reporter Who’s Never Been Acknowledged by His Peers.”
As expected, the attack didn’t go down well with other popular critics. The famous Roger Ebert offered some backup, writing, “Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks."
