It’s a bit of a generalization to say that “critics were wrong about x thing,” but if you treat it as shorthand for “many critics were wrong about x thing,” or even just “some critics were wrong about x thing,” then it can be an interesting thing to explore. Certain movies take a little while to become fully appreciated, as seen with the likes of The Thing and Blade Runner (to take two examples that are both sci-fi movies from 1982), and as might be seen with some more contemporary movies as the decades tick along (like Babylon… maybe?).
But to narrow that idea a little, what follows is a look at some performances that were criticized more upon release than they have in more recent years. The tide’s turned to some extent for all of these, as some performances (or even the movies overall) being seen as great, while others are at least singled out as not nearly as bad as they might’ve been before.
10
‘Mommie Dearest’ (1981)
‘Mommie Dearest’ (1981)
Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford
Once upon a time, the consensus around Mommie Dearest was that it was terrible, and kind of laughable as a drama. Things have shifted, and now it’s more likely you’ll see people celebrating it as intentional camp more than a so-bad-it’s-good (by accident) movie. It has Faye Dunaway going over-the-top for sure, and critics and fans of what she’s going for here would agree that it’s not a subtle performance, but whether it’s distractingly loud or appropriately melodramatic? That’s where opinions differ.
Dunaway portrays famed actress Joan Crawford, with most of Mommie Dearest revolving around the difficult childhood Christina Crawford had because of her mother. It’s a film with a strange energy and a central performance that is hard to look away from, and maybe it’s even simultaneously compelling/impressive and too much, somehow.
9
‘Gangs of New York’ (2002)
‘Gangs of New York’ (2002)
Leonardo DiCaprio as “Amsterdam” Vallon
After being something of a teen star and a heartthrob sort of actor as a young adult, Leonardo DiCaprio really wanted to establish himself as a more mature and determined actor as the 21st century approached, and especially once the year 2000 hit. One of his earlier roles during this phase of his career was in Gangs of New York, and people might not have been so sure about him at that stage.
And it would’ve been jarring, especially because DiCaprio is good here, but he’s not quite great like he’s great in the likes of Django Unchained, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Revenant. But he’s still very good and committed, even with that imperfect accent, and it could well be that some saw him as only comparatively weak because he so often had to share the screen with the very accomplished Daniel Day-Lewis, who is even more phenomenal than usual in Gangs of New York.
8
‘Heaven’s Gate’ (1980)
‘Heaven’s Gate’ (1980)
Kris Kristofferson as James Averill
Truth be told, everyone involved with Heaven’s Gate was criticized a little too harshly when the film first came out. It just had so much negative publicity behind it because of all the production drama, and the cinemas showing it may well have been handing out pitchforks and flaming torches to anyone who showed up. Judging by accounts at the time, and based on how other difficult-to-make movies have been received, that just feels like how it might’ve been back in 1980.
Heaven’s Gate was not as good as Michael Cimino’s previous film, The Deer Hunter, but it also honestly wasn’t too far behind quality-wise.
And no, Heaven’s Gate was not as good as Michael Cimino’s previous film, The Deer Hunter, but it also honestly wasn’t too far behind quality-wise. The movie’s got a lot going for it, and as for its cast? Kris Kristofferson is being singled out here, since he was the top-billed actor and also the only person in the cast who received a Razzie nomination for his performance, and he’s honestly not bad, but Isabelle Huppert is also worth mentioning as someone who turned in a solid and – at the time – underappreciated performance.
7
‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’ (2005)
‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’ (2005)
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader
Upon release, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was seen as the best of a flawed trilogy, and a good – yet perhaps not great – Star Wars movie that at least had more things going for it than The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Both those movies are viewed a little more favorably now, and Revenge of the Sith has also seen a resurgence in popularity, going from kind of good to kind of great in the eyes of many.
That’s in general, but also, Hayden Christensen’s performance is more well-respected now. It’s not perfect, and maybe some of the stuff he does in Attack of the Clones is still a bit inconsistent, but Revenge of the Sith was a more confident performance from him overall. He’s good here, and he sells Anakin’s turn to the dark side in an appropriately grand/melodramatic way that fits what Revenge of the Sith is going for tonally.
6
‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009)
‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009)
Megan Fox as Jennifer Check
In the overall scheme of things, Jennifer’s Body is not very old at all, but it’s already gone through something of a critical reappraisal. Megan Fox played the titular character, and was seen as a fair target for criticism at the time, even though Jennifer’s Body probably should’ve been celebrated for giving her a very different role than she had in Transformers (and its sequel).
And she’s good here, and the movie overall is stronger as a demonic possession-related horror/comedy than some people back in 2009 gave it credit for. Jennifer’s Body is now just old enough to be a little nostalgic, and viewers nowadays are more likely to clue in on what it’s going for in terms of humor and satirical elements, so it’s kind of good. Not perfect, but also far from bad.
5
‘Freddy Got Fingered’ (2001)
‘Freddy Got Fingered’ (2001)
Tom Green as Gordon “Gord” Brody
Make no mistake: Freddy Got Fingered is even more uncomfortable, as a comedy, than you might expect from its tasteless title. But the humor here was oddly ahead of its time, to the point where, if it had been made right around the time that YouTube was starting to become popular (or maybe even in the early 2000s, during the Newgrounds era), it probably would’ve been a bigger hit.
But it also would’ve seemed less impressive, as a feature film imitating internet humor. But it was released in 2001, in actuality, and predated the sort of shocking, random, and transgressive humor that would become popular throughout the rest of the 2000s by at least two to three years. So nowadays, it seems ahead of its time, and actually quite funny in fits and bursts. Not all of it lands, but more does than you might’ve been led to believe. And Tom Green, as its director, lead star, and co-writer, was the surprising visionary who made this infamous (albeit not actually terrible) movie happen.
4
‘Kingdom of Heaven’ (2005)
‘Kingdom of Heaven’ (2005)
Orlando Bloom as Balian of Ibelin
Blade Runner was mentioned a little earlier, and it’s not the only Ridley Scott movie that’s become more well-respected as the years have marched on. Kingdom of Heaven also became appreciated more after its theatrical run, mainly owing to its director’s cut being more impactful and coherent, with everyone involved looking better in hindsight, including the film’s star, Orlando Bloom.
His character here is a little less interesting than some of the supporting characters, but Bloom is a solid enough anchor for the film, and a point-of-view sort of character to carry the audience through all the dramatic things that end up happening. He does exactly what he needs to for a role like this, in a movie like Kingdom of Heaven, and it’s good that both he and the movie overall are viewed more favorably nowadays.
3
‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)
‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)
George Lazenby as James Bond
In 1969, the idea of anyone but Sean Connery playing James Bond might’ve been too difficult a pill to swallow. Even today, you’ll understandably have a lot of people saying that within the series, nobody does it better (well, did it better) than Connery. So, George Lazenby, as a one-off 007, had big shoes to fill, and wasn’t seen as someone who filled them necessarily back in 1969.
There was more uncertainty around his very different approach to the character, and also, the opening scene – with its cheeky fourth-wall break – is pretty silly. But… Lazenby is good here, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is also a genuinely interesting 007 flick that’s been reappraised since it first came out. Also, the idea of non-Connery actors playing the character is now super accepted, seeing as so many actors have played Bond, and that’s also a factor in making Lazenby – and the film he starred in – better in hindsight.
2
‘Under the Cherry Moon’ (1986)
‘Under the Cherry Moon’ (1986)
Prince as Christopher Tracy
Under the Cherry Moon was supremely misread by the majority of people when it first came out, dissimilar to how Prince’s music was generally appreciated and popular back in the 1980s (and those albums released during his decade-long hot streak still slap). Maybe people didn’t realize it was all supposed to be light and a bit silly, or they thought Prince (who directed the film as well as starring in it) was trying to make something genuinely arthouse.
It feels more like a parody of art films, or simply one that wants to ape a classier look through its black-and-white visuals and overall aesthetics. It’s a visually striking movie, and it does have a remarkable soundtrack. And Prince’s performance is honestly not bad in Under the Cherry Moon. He probably directed better than he acted here, but he’s still better in front of the camera than he’s given credit for.

Under the Cherry Moon
- Release Date
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July 2, 1986
- Runtime
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98 minutes
Cast
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-
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Steven Berkoff
Mr. Sharon
1
‘The Shining’ (1980)
‘The Shining’ (1980)
Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance
Perhaps the definitive unfairly criticized performance in cinema history is Shelley Duvall’s in The Shining. She is different from the Wendy described in the Stephen King novel, but the whole adaptation – though masterful – is admittedly different in its approach. And Duvall wasn’t the only person who got judged harshly here, especially if you look at the Razzies again, where she and Stanley Kubrick were both nominated (for Worst Actress and Worst Director, respectively).
At least the Razzies recognized the mark was missed, because that nomination was officially rescinded in 2022, and it’s also good that this happened within Duvall’s lifetime. She has a difficult role to play here and honestly does it well, and it’s easier to acknowledge what she was able to do on-screen while also being put through hell by Kubrick (who did direct the film amazingly, sure, but was documented as being cruel to Duvall).

The Shining
- Release Date
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June 13, 1980
- Runtime
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146 minutes