The Bigots Are Showing Their True Colors This Movie Season
Not everyone has to love every movie. I know I tend to love films but I do recognize that everyone has their own opinions. That being said, it is upsetting to see so many showing their misogyny while talking about the films of this award season.
It started with an online conversation surrounding Hamnet. Again, I recognize that not everyone will relate to the film and that’s fine. But prior to the film’s release, there were angry responses saying that we didn’t need a “female Hamlet.” Not only is that not what Hamnet is but it was just the start of the criticisms.
Many are watching Hamnet and pushing their own narrative on the film and getting mad at something that Chloé Zhao’s film doesn’t do. Then, on top of that, The Testament of Ann Lee came out and Variety posted a sexist blurb about the film in their Worst Movies of 2025 list.
“Ann Lee, the messianic religious leader played by Amanda Seyfried, grows up in Manchester, England, where she’s so traumatized by catching glimpses of her parents fornicating that she evolves an entire worldview out of it. (The worldview is: Sex — bad!) As she grows up to found a religion that’s like “The Handmaid’s Tale” mistaken for a feminist utopia, Fastvold leans on the writhing solemnity of group dynamics, which kind of shortchanges that thing called drama. Ah, but the musical numbers!,” Owen Gleiberman wrote.
That is incredibly sexist because there are plenty of films centered around a man’s choice to abstain from sex in the name of religion. But a film about the Shakers is a problem?
They’re all being racist too!
Not only is the response to these films sexist but many of these lists are excluding Sinners and while again, it is someone’s opinion, it is fascinating that the film centered around race through the genre of a vampire film is suddenly “left off” these lists (mostly by the same publications) is….not a good look.
That’s not even to mention the Right Wing anger towards One Battle After Another with talking heads like Ben Shapiro angry the film exists. Why? Probably because he saw himself as the racist white men and not Bob Ferguson but that’s Shapiro’s damage, not the rest of our problem.
All of this isn’t actually criticism of these movies. Their “takes” are rooted in their own bias and they’re parading it as film criticism. You can watch The Testament of Ann Lee and decide that it isn’t a movie for you but also recognize its importance. Even if you don’t think it is important, you can use your brain cells and realize that commenting on it can happen as long as your thoughts are racist and sexist.
(featured image: Focus Features/ Warner Bros./Searchlight Pictures)
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