Seth Rogen comments on negative film reviews, saying they can be “devastating” to filmmakers

Seth Rogen is a man of many talents. He’s an actor, writer, weed enthusiast, potter, and maker of movies of varying quality. In addition to starring in critically-acclaimed films like Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, An American Pickle, and The Lion King, Rogen has acted in his share of clunkers, including Sausage Party, This is the End, Monsters vs. Aliens, and more. Reviews of his projects cover many emotions, with some critics going out of their way to slam some of Rogen’s most memorable films. While some filmmakers are prepared to let the chips fall where they may and permit critics to have their time in the sun, Rogen is clapping back, saying negative reviews can be harmful in ways people don’t anticipate.

Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Rogen said, “I think if most critics knew how much it hurt the people that made the things that they are writing about, they would second guess the way they write these things.” This sentiment applies to many avenues across entertainment, with negative reviews impacting everything from film to video games, music, and more. Rogen says he knows people who’ve never recovered from the sting of negative reviews. Reading Rogen’s comment, we may have lost some of our best would-be creators thanks to wordsmiths with an axe to grind. I make it a point to be optimistic about most things in my writing, silver linings, and all that jazz. Sometimes it’s tough to resist a good joke, but punching down on something that’s not my taste doesn’t do anyone any favors.

“It’s devastating. I know people who never recover from it honestly, years, decades of being hurt. It’s very personal… It is devastating when you are being institutionally told that your personal expression was bad. That’s something that people carry with them, literally, their entire lives and I get why. It f****ing sucks.”

One film Rogen remembers being hurt by negative reviews is 2011’s The Green Hornet. The movie performed well enough at the box office, but critical reactions to the superhero romp were brutal.

“For Green Hornet, the reviews were coming out and it was pretty bad,” Rogen said. “People just kind of hated it. It seemed like a thing people were taking joy in disliking a lot. But it opened to like $35 million, which was the biggest opening weekend I’d ever been associated with at that point. It did pretty well. That’s what’s nice sometimes. You can grasp for some sense of success at times.”

What do you think about critics going out of their way to be negative in their reviews? Is there a way to be negative while not damning the project you’re writing about to the fires of financial ruin? Feel free to sign off in the comments below.