When did everyone get so boring?
My review of "The Electric State" movie and film critics.
I was originally going to title this article "When did film critics get so boring?" because, let's face it, most of them are.
But then I thought about how people might come at me and say "hey Leigh, you have to respect their craft!"
And then I realised I didn't really care, and my response to that is: what craft?
A craft of persistent negativity and pointing out flaws in everything? A craft of bashing on everything that isn't the world's Best Movie Ever because the only two categories movies fit into nowadays is Timeless Classic or F*cking Garbage with no in between?
And that got me thinking...it's not just the movie critics.
It's people too.
The Redditors who will hate anything that isn't created by Quentin Tarantino or Stanley Kubrick. Those types of men who claim "there wasn't enough action" in an action movie. The self-proclaimed critics who use Letterboxd to say stuff like this:
"I’m just hating fr I have not watched this."
When did everyone get so boring?
I recently watched The Electric State with my family and I enjoyed it.
It was funny with some laugh out loud moments, there was good music and an element of nostalgia, the relationship between siblings even made me a little emotional towards the end.
And I can't understand why everyone feels the need to hate on it.
Sure, Millie Bobby Brown's finale monologue won't go down in history as the greatest monologue there's ever been. Yes, the use of AI and budget for this movie is shocking and a little concerning for the future of filmmaking. I agree that the CGI wasn't immaculate.
But so what?
When did everyone become so ruled by what critics say and what success the movie made financially? When did everyone decide that cinema has to be something that is picked apart instead of just enjoyed? When did everyone stop liking silly little movies?
I was born in 1999, and I grew up on silly little movies.
The live-action Scooby Doo's. The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (in 3-D nonetheless!!). Freaky Friday. Nacho Libre.
There's a whole host of movies that I could name that are just silly little movies that I wholeheartedly enjoy and I feel like the world forgot how to enjoy stuff like that.
I liked The Electric State for the nostalgia. For Anthony Mackie's character in all it's entirety. For Mr Peanut being the head of a revolution. For the music. For Chris Pratt's terrible haircut, and the robots that did silly things because it's a silly movie.
Not a ground-breaking, mind-boggling, changing-the-world kind of movie.
And people need to reconnect with that. They need to laugh at a terrible joke. They need to be reminded that we watch movies to escape, to sit back and say "hey this is fun!" with friends and popcorn.
It's time for everyone to stop being so boring.
So, to help with that, here are some silly little movies I'm looking forward to that I hope you'll watch and enjoy too:
- A Minecraft Movie - April 2025
- Karate Kid: Legends - May 2025
- The Fantastic Four - July 2025
- The Bad Guys 2 - August 2025
- Freakier Friday - August 2025
- Zootopia 2 - November 2025
—
Hi I’m Leigh, I want to start expressing myself more so tune in for some fiction, some thoughts, and some fun.
Until next time x
About the Creator
Leigh Hooper
A writer in her twenties with a head full of ideas and a room full of books✨
My Instagram handle is: @leighooper
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Comments (14)
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Awesome to read
Congrats on Top Story! 🎉 Well deserved. Keep up the good work!
Interesting ideas. I rarely read movie critics (except for Sean Patrick here on Vocal), even though I do check movie ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. I think it’s better to watch a movie and form your opinion just like you did.
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Interesting I have a different question for you: why are movies so important?? I as an Orthodox Jew don’t have a single TV screen in my house or in any of my friends’ homes. And guess what? People are so NOT boring to me! They’re my personal study project. Maybe it’s because I love the study of psychology but maybe it also has to do with the fact that the people in my society are so so much more present alive and meaningful! Maybe that’s something to think about…
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I have never read a piece that so concisely expresses my exact thoughts! I have my own problems with Electric State's budget and AI usage, but that doesn't mean you're not allowed to have fun with the film. I agree that people need to have fun at the movies again; nowadays everyone wants to be a cynical critic instead of enjoying movies for their own sake. Not every movie needs to be a masterpiece or Oscar Bait - just a fun, goofy little time is still a great film! Also, shout outs to the live-action Scooby-Doo movies too - those are my jam ^^ Definitely reading more from you in the future!
I'm with you on this Leigh. If a movie is fun for you, then it will have been so for many others too. I think one thing that the critics don't take into consideration is the audience. Movies are not a solo experience. There is much to be said for watching Godzilla Vs Kong with your kids for example. It changes the dynamics completely. In fact, the best critics of kids movies are probably the kids themselves. If it's supposed to be funny and none of them are laughing then it's probably a dud. I'm glad I have kids because It gives me a great excuse to go and watch movies like Mario!
Very good work 👏
Such a needed insight and a good piece that spreads positivity rather than the constant negativity we're all so used to! A very good piece of writing
Awesome! JBaz, you got it. Being a critic doasnt mean its bad, thogh. your just sharing *your* feelings with the world! Awesome work! *XOXO*
I am so happy you took this stance. Being a critic doesn’t mean you need to bash the art so that you can sound like you know things you. Actually don’t. Yours is an honest review, given by someone who isn’t looking for perfection or trash but the in between. And yes I agree we as ‘people’ have done the same smart ass reviews thinking we’re intelligent. Bravo for you and congratulations
Interesting piece, but let me confess the following... I'm GenX, and critics have always been boring, but I never thought filmmakers would be so predictable (at least in the West). Redditors should never be anyone's go-to for film criticism (only time is the best judge). And I'll end with this quote...from a filmmaker: "The best way to critique a film is to make one." - Jean-Luc Godard.