Netflix Executives Say 'Bright' Success Proves Film Critics Are 'Disconnected From Mass Appeal' (indiewire.com)

Last month, movie critics slammed David Ayer and Will Smith's Netflix tentpole "Bright" movie. At present, it has less than 30 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But Netflix executives aren't worried. From a report on IndieWire: The abysmal reviews couldn't stop "Bright" from becoming a humongous hit on Netflix and earning a sequel. [...] According to both Netlfix bosses, "Bright's" success is proof that film critics don't matter as much when they're trying to tap into a global audience. "Critics are an important part of the artistic process, but [they are] pretty disconnected from the commercial prospects of a film," chief content officer Sarandos said. "[Film critics] speak to specific audiences who care about quality, or how objectively good or bad a movie is -- not the masses who are critical for determining whether a film makes money." CEO Hastings, chimed in to add "The critics are pretty disconnected from the mass appeal." Do ratings on movie websites matter? It's not a new topic of discussion. Last year, legendary director, producer and screenwriter Martin Scorsese said he believes real movie goers don't care about Rotten Tomatoes. But some people, including especially in the same room as Scorsese, disagree. Brett Ratner, the Rush Hour director/producer who threw the financial weight of his RatPac Entertainment behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice blamed Rotten Tomatoes for convincing people to not watch his movie. Along the same lines, DC fans were angry over Rotten Tomatoes's Justice League ratings .

Comments

You know......

[cayenne8]

...I don't think I've ever looked at the Rotten Tomatoes website.

I've seen it referenced in articles about movies, but other than that, I've not paid attention to it.

Do people really look at that to decide if they're going to the movies or not?

I just listen word of mouth of friends that have seen a movie and liked it.

Granted, I don't go OUT to a movie theater that often, it has to be something special that really warrants a MUCH larger screen than I have and better sound, and I have a pretty good set up at my place.

But anyway....not really that familiar with RT.

Re:You know......

[fahrbot-bot]

I just listen word of mouth of friends that have seen a movie and liked it.

I'm sure there's plenty of value in that. On the other hand ...

People like blood sausage, too. People are morons.
-- Phil Connors, Groundhog Day

I think reviews can be helpful if they're clear about what they're reviewing -- the plot, characters, production value, etc... Sometimes it seems a reviewer just doesn't like an actor, or premise, etc... and that seems to drive the review rather than what, objectively, was presented. I've seen plenty of movies on Amazon Prime with objectively low production values that were rather good because of the story or actors, etc... On the other hand, there are also expensively-made movies that aren't worth watching -- even on Amazon. A helpful review is compartmentalized, to some extent, with commentary based on some earned/acquired knowledge of film and film production.