There are a handful of movies every year that audiences just can’t agree on. Whether we love or hate a polarizing film, the contention does spark fascinating conversation. Sometimes it’s a controversial casting choice that gets people talking. Other times it’s a movie adaptation deviating from its source material.
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There are bound to be disagreements when remakes and reboots try new things with beloved characters or franchises. As 2021 comes to a close, it’s painfully clear which movies have caused the most heated debates.
Halloween Kills
Director David Gordon Green’s 2018Halloweenwas one of the better horror revivals in recent years. Green returned to direct the sequel,Halloween Kills, in which a group of locals band together in an attempt to take out Michael Myers once and for all.
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The sequel garnered mixed reviewsover its lack of focus and simple plot. Most ofHalloween Killstreads the same territory as its predecessors without adding anything new to Myers' representation as a villain. This is a quality that made the original such a success. In the originalHalloween, Myers represented the audience’s deepest fear as an unbeatable “shape.” So while the sequel does have somebloody fun kills, it adds little to theHalloweenfranchise.
The failure of David Lynch’s originalDune,set high hopes for a remake. The newest version of the sci-fi classic succeeds with its collection of A-list actors and an Academy Award-winning director at the helm, but the book’s previously failed adaptations and complicated plot madeDunedivisive from the start. Having so many great actors on screen is mostly a plus, but it also means some stars get lost or are given minimal screen time, like Zendaya.
In addition, the decision not to greenlight a sequel immediately left manyDunefans anxious over what would happen to all the loose plot threadsPart Oneends on.Dunepresents a sci-fi world unique in its depiction of ships and planets, but its cluttered plot leftviewers wanting more from its minimalist approach.
The Suicide Squad
James Gunn received a lot of critical and commercial success as the director for the firstGuardians of the Galaxyfilm.The Suicide Squadbrought much of his trademark humor and motion-capture performances to the DC franchise and markedly improved its predecessor.
But the movie ultimately suffers from an overloaded cast and the absence of Will Smith as Deadshot. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn embodied thedivisive reactions audiences have for the sequel. Fans of the character have continued to clash over Harley’s depiction as a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of the Joker, andThe Suicide Squadadded fuel to the fire with her rushed marriage to a new terrorist villain.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Ghostbusters: Afterlifewas a lot of fun to watch. Its mix of practical effects and CGI paid homage to the creature-building of the two franchise’s first two films. In addition, the casting of McKenna Grace as the granddaughter of the original Ghostbuster, Egon Spengler, was a success.
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McKenna Grace as Phoebe Spengler pulled off some of the same physical mannerisms and scientific instincts as her fictional grandfather. Butmany critics thought the recycling of GozerasAfterlife’s main villain and the complete rehashing ofGhostbusters 2’s ending was a lazy decision.
It was an inspired pick when Marvel to employ indie director Chloé Zhao at the helm of theEternalsfilm. The Oscar-winning director is known for creating gorgeous set pieces and using naturalistic settings in her movies. Naturaly, Zhao seemed like an interesting choice to helm a film about aliens who come to Earth to protect humankind against invading predators.
Consensus onwhether or not Zhao succeeded is mixed. Many critics feltEternalswas the worst MCU movie, largely due to its slow pacing and juggling too many character storylines. As a result, the film currently holds the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score for any MCU movie at47%.
Black Widow
Black Widowhad already divided critics long before the controversy between Scarlett Johansson and Marvel studios over the film’s release. Fans waited over a year for a new Marvel movie during the Covid theater shut down and were anticipating Black Widow’s solo film.
Upon release,Black Widowwas derided for being too long, too dull, and too MCU. Fans have been divided over Black Widow’s character since she was killed inAvengers: Endgame, andfelt her film was an attempt by Marvelto make up for not giving her a solo movie beforehand.
No Time to Die
No Time to Dieis Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond. The movie begins with exciting set pieces and action sequences before developing the human side of Bond often unseen previous films. That said, fans argued over Bond’s humanistic depiction andNo Time to Die’s messy plot.
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Critics overall enjoyed the film, butwere tornover the weak villain and lackluster storyline,keeping the movie from reaching the same heights as Craig’s other Bond outings. However, divisivenessdoesn’t affect ticket salesin this case.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Venom: Let There Be Carnagesaw Tom Hardy return to the joint roles of Eddie Brock and Venom in another Sony movie before the franchise ties into the MCU’sSpider-Manuniverse. Unfortunately,Let There Be Carnageregurgitates much of the first film’s plot, to the disappointment of critics.
Most of the movie’s divisiveness comes from it being a short blockbuster that puts focus on crowd-pleasing moments over in-depth story-telling.Audiences foundLet There Be Carnagefilm fun, but critics were bored with the derivative story.
Last Night In Soho
Last Night in Sohois a fun thriller with creative special effects and a great cast. The movie delivers an original story in short supply in an age full of reboots and remakes. And the central duel performances of actresses Anna Taylor-Joy andThomasin McKenzie raise the movieabove other 2021 spooky-themed movies. The sixties score also grounds the time-traveling scenes in authenticity.
Sadly,Last Night in Sohotelegraphs its twists and turns too early in the story. As a result, critics felt the film was bogged down in repetitive plot devices. Not just that, the film has been criticized for its depiction ofsexual assault and mental health, neither of which it fully delves into.Last Night in Sohowould have more room to breathe if it didn’t remind audiences where the story was going every few scenes.
Mortal Kombat
The 1995 originalMortal Kombatis more loved for the opening theme song than its plot. Therefore, the bar was low for 2021’sMortal Kombatto improve upon its predecessor. Reviews were mixed due to the film’s clunky handling of fight scenes vs. exposition.
While critics appreciated the film’s diverse chararacters, they derided the movie’s poor performances and over-stuffed fan service. Likewise,many were disappointed in the movie focusing the story around a brand new character instead of the franchise mainstay, Liu Kang, who was primarily kept off-screenperforming unseen side missions.
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