I’ve been debating about writing this topic for the Midweek Movie Mouth-off for a few weeks now. It does, of course, mean that I am opening myself up to a certain amount of condescension and ridicule. But, I’m a woman on the internet so I get that anyway. On with the show!
So, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no cinephile. It’s not like I eat, sleep and breathe all things movies. I enjoy them as much as anyone else, and I have certain tastes and preferences like everyone else as well. But sometimes, I come across a movie I just don’t “get”. The most recent of these movies? Arrival.
To everyone that just cried out in outrage, don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Arrival. And before you ask: yes, I understood it from beginning to end. I know what happened in the movie. I don’t know if I see the point. Maybe I missed something, or maybe there wasn’t really a point to begin with – and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But honestly, I left the cinema feeling more confused than anything else.
So if you’re brave, let me know in the comments: which movie did you just not “get”?
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Critical Hit as an organisation.
Last Updated: November 23, 2016
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 23, 2016 at 10:40
Most recently, Don’t Breathe. It’s supposed to be a thriller/horror, and I just sat there staring at it feeling nothing as stuff happened to people I didn’t care about one whit.
Kervyn Cloete
November 23, 2016 at 10:54
But that’s because you have no feelings. Simple really.
RinceThis
November 23, 2016 at 11:08
THIS!^
Andre116
November 23, 2016 at 13:44
Agree with you there. Did not get what all the hype was about.
RinceThis
November 23, 2016 at 11:08
Arrival rocked the shizzle. I didn’t get Inside Out to be honest. I found it depressing as heck.
Kromas Ryder
November 23, 2016 at 11:22
Contact …. I don’t get it at all.
Also prometheus but for vastly different motives.I don;t get why they made it not the movie itself.
Tracy Benson
November 23, 2016 at 11:35
Don’t worry, no one “gets” why they made Prometheus
Filmmaker
November 23, 2016 at 11:38
Yet there’s a sequel on the way &*%#$
crill
November 23, 2016 at 11:27
Not movies, but in TV I couldn’t get in to the Wire. I know that’s supposed to be utter sacrilege, and I tried, I really did. It just bored this pants off me.
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 23, 2016 at 11:49
I know exactly how you feel. I’ve tried to start Breaking Bad three times, and the furthest I’ve gotten is half way through the 2nd episode.
Tracy Benson
November 23, 2016 at 12:34
I didn’t get very far into Breaking Bad either, I think episode 3 or 4 was my limit
Tracy Benson
November 23, 2016 at 12:33
Midweek MOVIE Mouth-Off Paul 😛
Also, you’re the only person I’ve heard say that about The Wire. I haven’t tried it myself though
Filmmaker
November 23, 2016 at 11:37
Turns out that the movies I don’t get, are also bad in my opinion: 47 Ronnin, Thor: The Dark World, The Last Airbender (really, really bad), Insurgent, just to name a few
Filmmaker
November 23, 2016 at 11:45
Oh I forgot: Jobs (the most unforgivable thing in my cinematic experience ever), Cloud Atlas, Batman & Robin…
Noelle Adams
November 23, 2016 at 13:22
Arrival I got. The last 30 minutes of 2001: Space Odyssey, NOPE. Also, though I still need to write my review, Jesus movie Last Days in the Desert is super arty and obscure with its message.
Tracy Benson
November 23, 2016 at 16:26
We still need to have a discussion about Arrival. Also, apparently there was supposed to be a narration over the last bit of 2001 but it got cut so no one understands it
Kervyn Cloete
November 23, 2016 at 19:33
I UNDERSTAND 2001 PERFECTLY!!!
elysium
November 23, 2016 at 14:23
If I had to pick one, I’d say Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. No idea why everyone loves it so much. To me it was just weird, kinda nonsensical (what the hell with all the flying), and the dub made it even cheesier.
Other than that, I’d have to say quite a few of the best animated picture films weren’t anything special to me (and I’m a *huge* nut for animated stuff), so I guess I didn’t “get” what everyone loved about these either:
– Spirited Away was just odd and, again, had an annoying dub (and, before you give me hell, I have watched – and loved – quite a bit of anime that gets *really* weird – Serial Experiments Lain, Evangelion, et cetera).
– Up seemed to me to be lauded pretty much just for the annoyingly attempted-emotionally-exploitative opening (which fell flat for me) and was very pedestrian for the other 95% of the run time.
– Toy Story 3 was also just trying to make everyone feel like crap and didn’t have much of a story outside of “boo hoo, kids grow up”.
– Frozen would have been fine because it was iffy and could have been forgotten by now, had they not tried to oversell it as Disney’s best animated musical since The Lion King (which it couldn’t come anywhere near) and ruined it in the process.
– Brave was perfectly fine as a princess movie, but only got the award because it was squeezed out by Pixar. Wreck It Ralph should have one. Someone got their projects the wrong way round that year, since Disney did the Pixar-ish thing and Pixar did the Disney-ish thing.
– Inside Out had a really interesting idea on paper but translated into a pretty dull film overall that insisted on dragging things out longer than it should.
Filmmaker
November 23, 2016 at 15:47
Yes, Crouching Tiger! What the hell was that?!
crill
November 23, 2016 at 20:04
Sicario. Hated it. Boring and unpleasant.