10 Recent Movies Critics Hated (But Audiences LOVED)

Critic Score: 29%

Audience Score: 88%

There was enormous hype around the screen adaptation of Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, with many even touting it as a sure-fire Oscar contender.

But critics got their knives out for the film following its TIFF premiere last year, with most criticising the decision to have stage star Ben Platt reprise the role of the titular high schooler despite now being an entire decade older.

Most critics couldn't reconcile how out-of-place Platt now looked in the role he originated, and suggested that it helped tank a film that was generally an inferior take on its beloved source material.

But the response from regular viewers couldn't have been more polar opposite - they were won over by the film's heartfelt, melodramatic narrative, and were also considerably less bothered by Platt's alleged miscasting, feeling that he earned his place with a committed performance.

In addition to its 88% audience approval rating, Dear Evan Hansen netted a mighty "A-" CinemaScore, though in part due to the pandemic's effect on the box office it still failed to turn a profit.

Even so, it's again proof that critics and general audiences often consider a movie through entirely different optics: while Platt's casting was a derailing distraction for reviewers, the average punter either didn't notice or didn't really care.