10 Times Film Critics Actually Changed Their Mind

While the popularity of critical aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes have effectively diminished the influence of any single film critic, it's still possible for a powerful review to tectonically sway general opinion on a film, and in turn dent its box office prospects.

It's incredibly rare for critics to flatly admit that they were ever wrong about a film - after all, their opinion is their reputation - but every now and then, prominent critics have dared to admit that their original estimation was wrong.

More often than not, critics will admit to changing their mind when a film they initially panned was fondly embraced by the wider critical cohort and even went on to become a certified classic.

Whether waiting mere minutes or as long as 30 years, these critics all publicly turned around on a film they reviewed otherwise to the masses, whether because they simply couldn't connect with the film at the time, they were reoccupied with personal problems, or perhaps even had the movie's star breathing down their neck.

Given that these critics' reputations were hardly compromised by admitting their faults, they're proof perfect that a good critic is an open-minded one...

There will never be a film critic duo more iconic than the late, great Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.

The pair passionately squabbled about each week's new releases on their TV show At the Movies, with each man typically digging their heels in and only growing more defensive over the course of their spirited debate.

However, there's just a single exception where Ebert managed to convince Siskel to change his mind about a movie.

While discussing John Woo's 1996 action film Broken Arrow, Siskel gave it a mildly positive review, though after listening to Ebert complain about it, decided to change his "thumbs up" to a "thumbs down" alongside his colleague.

Ebert himself hardly hated the film, though considered it a pedestrian and unimaginative action flick, and Siskel ultimately found himself unable to argue otherwise.

For the remainder of their tenure together, neither managed to convince the other to change their mind about any other movie, though as you'll see later on, Ebert did sometimes reverse his decision in print.