15 Movies Everyone Wants Us to Care About, But We Just Don’t
There are certain movies that exist in the cultural zeitgeist to such an extent, that people often assume everyone has seen them. However, beyond most people not having the time to watch everything, some people don’t even want to watch every culturally relevant movie. And that’s fine.
Or is it? Some groups and online communities tend to get a bit too uptight about who gets to think what, all depending on what movies they’ve seen. These are, according to us, the movies most often cited as must-see, even though you don’t need to care about them.
Titanic
James Cameron’s massive 1997 blockbuster turned a historical 1912 maritime tragedy into a sprawling romance. Yet, three hours of crying over a floating door is a commitment some of us are perfectly fine skipping.
Avengers: Endgame
The 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe wrapped up years of superhero storytelling in 2019. If you did not spend a decade doing the required homework for this massive Disney production, trying to care now feels completely exhausting.
The Godfather
People constantly act shocked if you haven’t watched this classic mob drama. Interestingly, a 2011 study found that roughly a third of the people who claim to have seen the movie are actually lying about it to save face.
Inception
Christopher Nolan’s 2010 science fiction heist film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a thief infiltrating dreams. The constant explanations of how the subconscious rules work make it feel less like a movie and more like a very confusing college lecture.
La La Land
This polarizing Hollywood musical is meant to be a magical tribute to chasing dreams. Instead, plenty of viewers consider it a messy disaster lacking logic or heart, easily making it a theatrical release that many audiences just cannot care about.
The Notebook
Released in 2004, this adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ novel stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams falling in love in the 1940s. It is pushed as the ultimate romantic tearjerker, but the heavy-handed drama simply does not work for everyone.
Forrest Gump
Robert Zemeckis’s 1994 comedy-drama adaptation won countless awards and dominated pop culture for years. Even so, the overly sentimental journey through modern American history can feel cloying, making it a classic that some viewers are completely fine leaving unwatched.
The Matrix
When the 15-year anniversary of this science fiction hit arrived, a few outlets covered its legacy, but mostly no one cared. The two original sequels are widely considered so disappointing that many viewers would happily pay to forget them completely.
Fight Club
On its 20th anniversary, some critics looked back at this gritty thriller and concluded it simply does not hold up. People grow up and realize what once looked edgy just feels like stylized nonsense that is no longer worth watching.
Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino’s famously nonlinear crime film is endlessly praised by film buffs. However, quite a few viewers find it to be a bad, highly overrated movie that is ultimately about nothing, says nothing, and makes them feel absolutely nothing.
The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman film is widely hailed as the peak of superhero cinema. Despite the massive praise and iconic performances, enduring nearly three hours of grim, relentlessly dark comic book drama is not everyone’s idea of a good time.
Frozen
Disney’s animated winter musical took over the world, but the endless repetition of its signature songs caused massive burnout. The result of this phenomenon is that many people actively avoid returning to the snowy kingdom out of sheer exhaustion.
Citizen Kane
Orson Welles directed, produced, and starred in this 1941 drama, which film critics routinely demand we accept as the greatest movie ever made. The black-and-white newspaper tycoon story feels more like a cinematic history assignment than an entertaining weekend watch.
The Shawshank Redemption
Frank Darabont’s drama about banker Andy Dufresne serving a life sentence is constantly at the top of internet popularity polls. It is undeniably well-made, yet being constantly told you absolutely have to watch it usually makes you want to rebel.
The Big Lebowski
The Coen brothers released this neo-noir comedy about a Los Angeles slacker caught in a kidnapping scheme. Fans quote it relentlessly, which often turns newcomers entirely off from ever watching this bowling-centric case of mistaken identity.