Last week, a few newspapers reported that English actor Robert Pattinson had some choice words to say about his new movie, Life. Indeed, in the middle of a promotional tour for his latest project, Pattinson told reporters that he disliked the film and that it was the most pretentious movie he’d ever been involved in. In addition to his role as Cedric in Finding Neverland, Pattinson made his Hollywood debut in 2013’s romantic comedy, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. He subsequently starred in the fantasy-adventure Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and the dystopian-comedy Hotel Transylvania 2.
The Most Pretentious Movie
Life is the story of a young man named Nick who, inspired by the real-life case of L. Ron Hubbard, decides to create his own fictional universe and populate it with talking animals. After designing a futuristic city from the ground up, Nick begins to see it as his own personal project, and believes in its potential to provide meaningful change in the world. After a major disaster derails his grand plans, Nick realizes that the only way he can save his own skin is to keep it pure by avoiding all human contact. To that end, he retreats to the mansion he built for himself and launches an isolated existence, becoming what he himself calls a hermit.
There are signs that Life could have been a flop, but considering it was co-financed by one of the largest film companies in the world, the results of its production were more than satisfactory. Despite critical panning, the movie managed to score a decent box office haul and has since become a minor cult classic. If popularity was any indication, then perhaps the critical reception was a little too harsh. After all, it’s not every day that a movie manages to alienate a significant portion of its audience, but still finds a way to entertain, provoke, and even educate.
Why Do People Dislike It So Much?
While promoting Life, Pattinson told reporters that while he enjoys the film, he found its critical reception to be quite extraordinary. In fact, he said he’s never before heard a movie receive such widespread and negative criticism. In his eyes, this kind of hostility is a clear example of how Hollywood can be its own worst enemy. He also suggested that perhaps the only people who truly understood and appreciated Life are other film fans who share his passion for fantasy and science fiction.
The truth is that Life isn’t without its flaws. To begin with, there is a significant amount of backtracking, as the main character spends more time reflecting on the past than plotting his future. This could jar viewers who are used to seeing lead characters take the initiative and assume the moral high ground.
Furthermore, Nick is a complete and utter jerk, which could prove to be problematic if it’s supposed to be taken as a positive character trait. This doesn’t necessarily need to be a problem, but it’s worth noting that it could be interpreted that way. In the end, it’s clear that although Life was a critical and commercial failure, it still managed to leave its mark on the world of cinema. For better or worse, it’s become something of a cult classic.
Is It Worth Seeing?
Of course, this also means that Life is now available for viewing on Netflix. It’s not easy to determine just how good this movie is without seeing it first, but it’s probably not wise to judge a book by its cover. It turns out that when you do see it, you’ll realize just how good of an actor Pattinson is and that his portrayal of Nick is absolutely captivating. At the very least, it will keep you entertained. And who knows – perhaps it will even inspire you to create your own fictional universe and populate it with talking animals.