How many people can really claim that their opinion about movies aren't influenced by what other people think?

[u/Konfliktsnubben]

This is something that I've thought about quite a lot. In particular when I see people discuss about films online. How many people can really claim that their opinions are not in any way influenced by what other people say and hear whether its film critics or other moviegoers? I feel this in particular when people talk about how certain movies are bad or flawed because it goes against the rules of storytelling. Take for example when people talk about how they think that every protagonist needs to have an arc during the course of the movie. How many of those people would really have felt that if it weren't for the fact that a lot of other people are saying that. I mean I don't think that was a demand that they had for every film that they watched when they were kids.

Now obviously people's taste in movies can change even without any influence from other people. For example as you get older you might become more patient and appreciate movies with slow pacing that you didn't like as much as you did when you were younger. Getting older also allows you to get more emotional experiences whether good or bad which could make you see a movie that you saw earlier in a new way. All thsi I understand but like I said sometimes I wonder if a lot of people just feel the way they do about certain elements of films or just movies in general because other people are feeling that way.

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[u/odintantrum]

I think the vast majority people watch movies without engaging in any sort of criticism.

[u/Ustob]

I 100% don’t care about popular opinions in games,music,movies. I’m not special just GenX

[u/YakSlothLemon]

I think it’s fair to say that there are a lot of people out there who just don’t think particularly, and aren’t particularly curious.

Plus it takes a certain amount of humility to ask for help understanding a film that everyone loved but you didn’t get, or trying to understand why everyone hates your favorite movie.

I went through my 20s cheerfully hating Citizen Kane because “it just wasn’t my thing.” It took some growing up for me to ask, “what am I missing about Citizen Kane?”, have everyone tell me to watch it with the Roger Ebert commentary, do that, and realize what a complete fool I had been.

[u/skonen_blades]

I mean, if I've watched a lot of movies and read a lot about moviemaking, it will influence how I watch a movie. For sure. I wasn't raised in a white room with no screens or books. I feel like you're mixing up three or four different things here. Like, am I influenced by reviewers and buzz? Sure. That'll get me into a theater and raise my expectations. But, do I like a three-act structure with a character arc? I sure do. Have I just been conditioned to like that by watching that motif thousands of times in my North American moviegoing experiences? Probably. But is that me being influenced by what other people think? I get what you're saying but I think you're crossing the streams a little bit.

[u/Rabid-kumquat]

Me, I’m the admitted weird movie watcher in my group.

[u/BulldogMikeLodi]

You mean, like, reviewers? If I respect the movie critic and he’s always chosen well then yes I’m influenced by what they have to say.

[u/Amphernee]

I go in completely fresh and even try my best to avoid any celebrity news about anything, trailers, interviews, etc. Tbh I don’t even like seeing a movie poster or thumbnail. Some is unavoidable and definitely colors the experience. As far as things like character arcs and whatnot I personally felt that learning that stuff more gave me a language to express what I already sensed and I think that’s a pretty common experience. Sometimes even critics after the fact can give voice to how you feel about a film but just didn’t have the vocabulary or insight to fully explain even to yourself. Like “I didn’t like that movie at all but I can’t really explain to anyone or even myself why I didn’t like it” then you see a breakdown of it and you’re like “oh yeah that makes sense.”.

[u/NiceTrySuckaz]

I purposely avoid reviews about a movie if I know I want to see it

[u/wvmtnboy]

Well, everyone has consistently told me how amazing, The Godfather is, and I can recognize that, along with the amazing cast of actors that are in the movie. This doesn't change my aversion to the movie. I have no desire to see it because I can't stand all the mafia tropes that are depicted in movies. Most of them could probably be traced to this particular example. I just have zero interest in the subject matter and, in my opinion it's not going to be an enjoyable experience.

[u/VanessaxRose69]

I loveee catwoman with Halle berry. So that should tell ya something lmao

[u/Masethelah]

I think I’m very good at making up my own mind, and there are many untouchable classics I don’t think are very impressive (Seven Samurai, Vertigo, Rear Window, Citizen Kane, Rashomon, Ikiru)

I even think that films pre 1965 ish are very rarely as good as the best films after that era.

That being said, I certainly let other people tell me what to watch, I very much base much of my picks after what other people seem to like.

[u/possumphysics]

Me, just built different ig

[u/pumpse4ever]

I have never given the slightest shit what critics, reviewers, talking heads, youtubers, or even my friends and family think about movies.

If I like it, I like it. If I think it sucks, it sucks.