While some movies are universally acclaimed, and others we can all pretty much agree are
just garbage.
But then there's a third category: films that inspire both adoration AND disgust, blockbusters
that split audiences completely in half.
This phenomenon spans all genres, but these films all have one thing in common—they're
movies everyone either loves or hates.
Forrest Gump
When Forrest Gump hit theaters in 1994, it grossed $677 million worldwide and won six
Academy Awards.
It elevated Tom Hanks from actor to superstar, and many of its iconic lines are still quoted
today.
"Run, forrest.
Run!"
It's currently ranked on IMDB as the 12th best film of all time, and has a 95% audience
approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
But for all the love Gump has received, it's picked up some haters, too.
"He must be the stupidest son of a bitch alive, but he sure is fast!"
It caused a huge upset when it beat Pulp Fiction for best picture at the Academy Awards.
Many right-wing news outlets have lauded Forrest Gump as one of the best conservative films
of all time.
But to put it simply, critics feel the movie is all melodrama with no real message, while
fans love it for its simple perspective of a complicated world.
"life was like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you're gonna get."
Titanic
Sailing into theaters in 1997, Titanic became the highest-grossing film of all time.
The epic period piece became a major cultural touchstone, inspiring everyone who's ever
been on a boat to shout the iconic line:
"I'm the king of the world!"
"I'm king of the world!"
"Hey, somebody has to do this: I'm king of the WWWWWWW"
"Don't ruin a perfect week!"
Its beautiful costumes, tragic romance and revolutionary special effects touched so many
moviegoers that Roger Ebert wrote an entire essay about how he could "hear the warmth
in people's voices when they discuss it and see the light in their eyes."
But critic Owen Gleiberman says the film "gave rise to hater culture."
For every enthusiast, there's a cynic who feels the film is too cliché, and that its
theme song, My Heart Will Go On, should only be played for prisoners.
Even Kate Winslet herself said the song made her want to throw up.
"How often do you listen to Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On?"
"absolutely never."
People have also not been able to let go of the fact that Jack absolutely could have fit
on the door with Rose instead of freezing to death in the ocean.
he should have tried harder to get on that door.
I think he could have
"totally enough room, right?"
"YES!!!"
But for the most part, fans think the film is romantic perfection, while the haters just
think it's romantic fluff.
At least everyone can agree on the romance angle, though!
"You know, No matter how noble Jack's intentions might have been, sometimes discretion is the
better part of valor."
The Passion of the Christ
Deadpool may the highest-grossing R-rated film worldwide, but when it comes to the domestic
box office, The Passion of the Christ is the king of kings.
The biblical gorefest earned $370 million at home, which is largely thanks to Christian
moviegoers.
Some congregations rented out theaters for special screenings, while others actually
screened the film in their churches.
"The faithful are flocking to this theatre this morning.
The Passion is playing on all 20 screens."
One man was so passionate that he bought 6,000 tickets and gave them away for free.
But many people saw the movie as anti-Semitic for its murder-hungry mobster portrayal of
Jews, along with the fact that director Mel Gibson refused to have any Jewish scholars
advise him on the subject matter.
Audiences were also shocked by the film's extreme violence.
"It was very graphic.
Yeah, extremely graphic.
But it was probably true to life."
Considering the subject material, it's no wonder audiences either hailed Gibson as a
cinematic saint or crucified him for his controversial film.
No Country for Old Men
In 2007, the world was introduced to Anton Chigurh, one of the most iconic bad guys in
movie history.
"what's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?"
"the most you ever lost on a coin toss?"
No Country for Old Men won four Academy Awards, including best picture, and was hailed as
one of the Coen brothers' best movies.
It is currently ranked by IMDB as the 159th best film of all time.
But a lot of people couldn't get past the movie's ending.
The hero dies, the bad guy gets away, and after Tommy Lee Jones chats about his mysterious
dream, the movie cuts to black.
For those who were expecting a conventional finale, it's one of the most infuriating movie
endings of all-time.
Leading man Josh Brolin knew the ending was going to tick people off, and told MTV:
"I love that people leave the movie saying, 'I hate the ending.
I was so pissed.'
Good, it was supposed to piss you off."
The Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises was surrounded by so much hype that fanboys and Christopher Nolan
himself were defending it before it even hit theaters in 2012.
When film critic Marshall Fine posted the first negative review, his website crashed
under the rush of angry responses.
Rotten Tomatoes eventually had to shut down the film's comments section, a first in the
website's history.
Despite a spirited defense from hardcore fans, the film has been picked apart for plot holes
and logical inconsistencies.
Moviegoers were also upset with the film's ending, which showed Bruce Wayne alive and
well and on vacation with Selina Kyle.
Some thought the movie was a critique of the Occupy Wall Street movement, while others
suspected that Bane was a metaphor for republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.
"Calm down Dr., now is not that time for fear.
That comes later."
Inspiring everything from death threats to devastating takedowns, The Dark Knight Rises
is Nolan's most hotly contested movie to date.
Man of Steel
Depending on who you ask, Man of Steel is either the best Superman movie or the worst.
Zack Snyder's depiction of Superman as a cynical, complex and tortured hero stood out in stark
contrast to the colorful and quippy films Marvel had been cranking out.
Many fans appreciated this somber take, and the film earned $668 million worldwide.
However, many fans preferred Christopher Reeve's cheerful and fun version of Superman to this
dark and gritty approach.
Others were horrified by the sheer volume of collateral damage amassed during Superman's
duel with General Zod.
But perhaps the biggest controversy came when the man of steel straight-up murders his enemy,
a move that seemed to go against Clark Kent's strict moral code.
Even producer Christopher Nolan initially opposed the ending, which producer David S.
Goyer revealed on The Empire Film Podcast.
"killing zod was a big thing and something that Chris Nolan originally said there's
no way you can do this."
The murder made it into the film, and sent the man of steel in a direction that not everyone
was happy with.
La La Land
When La La Land danced into theaters, it won over audiences and critics alike.
It's also tied with Titanic and All About Eve for earning the most Oscar nominations
ever -- 14 in total.
Audiences far and wide were touched by this movie-musical homage and love letter to Hollywood,
which was written and directed by Damien Chazelle.
However, for every La La Land fan, there's a cynic rolling their eyes.
Many were annoyed by Ryan Gosling's Sebastian, who was portrayed as the white savior of jazz,
a genre that was pioneered by black musicians.
"it's dying, Mia, it's dying on the vine.
And the world says 'let it die.
It had it's time.'
Well, not on my watch."
Others felt Emma Stone's character, Mia, was far less complex than her male counterpart.
Ultimately, La La Land was a movie made for the ones who dream, but for many people, that
dream was a nightmare.
mother!
When it comes to polarizing his audience, director Darren Aronofsky has outdone himself
with mother!, an allegorical horror film that traps Jennifer Lawrence in a never-ending
nightmare of strangers with no respect for personal space.
The film was not for everyone, scoring a middling 69% on the tomatometer and an audience score
of 50%.
While horror fans enjoyed how gruesome and bloody it was, others argued that the film
was too heavy-handed with its allegories and symbolism.
"you never loved me.
You just loved how much I loved you."
"I gave you everything!"
Needless to say, with the way mother! divided its audience, it might be the very epitome
of a "love it or hate it" film.
The Last Jedi
When Rey tracked down Luke Skywalker in The Force Awakens, fans around the world couldn't
wait to see what would happen in the next Star Wars film.
Two years later, The Last Jedi caused a great disturbance in the force.
Directed by Rian Johnson, it quickly became one of the best-reviewed films of the franchise,
with some critics hailing it as the best Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back.
Fans praised the film for subverting expectations, demystifying the Jedi mythology, and paving
a new path for the franchise.
However, many Star Wars fans saw The Last Jedi as an attack on George Lucas's original
universe.
While the film scored a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, its audience score currently
sits at only 47%.
The biggest upset seemed to have to do with Luke Skywalker, whose portrayal as a moody
pessimist upset even Mark Hamill, who played him.
"I think the world of Rian Johnson, I said to him I fundamentally disagree with what you
think about Luke."
Then again, audiences weren't too pleased with The Empire Strikes Back when it was first
released either.
Maybe in a few decades, fans will look back on The Last Jedi with a little more fondness,
too.
Bright
Described on Deadline as "Lethal Weapon meets Lord of the Rings," Bright unfortunately did
not live up to any of the hype surrounding it.
The Netflix original movie, which was written by Max Landis and directed by David Ayer,
was universally hailed as a total mess.
From its sloppy world-building to cringe-worthy dialogue, not even Will Smith's charisma could
save Bright from scoring an abysmal 26% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
"fairy lives DON'T matter today."
Somehow, though, its audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes currently sits at 85%.
Netflix president Reed Hasting said Bright was one of the site's "most viewed original
titles ever," and a sequel is already in the works.
For whatever reason, plenty of people watched Bright, which seems to be the only aspect
of the film that anyone can agree on.
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