Certain movies stay with us forever and never grow old, regardless of how often we watch them. Others we outgrow. Then, some movies no longer fit social, cultural, or artistic criteria. Let’s look at 18 movies that no longer meet modern standards.
Love Actually
We once saw this movie as a beautiful exploration of love in its grand spectrum. Watch it now. Andrew Lincoln’s close-up video footage of Keira Knightley is eerily stalkerish. With its representation of men in power and submissive women, would it be made the same today?
A Clockwork Orange
It was Stanley Kubrick’s controversial cult masterpiece, but a modern viewing is tainted with problems. The sickening depictions of rape were a tough watch post-release, but a rewatch is nigh on impossible. Movie standards have changed beyond measure.
Green Book
With a title that represents the real guidebook used by African Americans in 1936 to navigate safe areas in a segregated country, you’d expect a movie with sensitive subject matter. Instead, Hollywood created a broad comedy that belittled the title in its entirety. It was still nominated for five Academy Awards.
The Passion of the Christ
Mel Gibson’s biblical masterpiece was widely criticized for its inaccurate depictions of Jewish people and biblical inaccuracies. It didn’t help that he later faced backlash for his antisemitic slurs, casting further doubts on the movie.
The Jazz Singer
The film made headlines at a time when donning blackface makeup was widely celebrated. Watch the movie in the 21st century, and you’ll be mortified.
Chicago
Musical pictures are often misconceived as carrying little substance beyond creative performance, and Chicago has been partly responsible. Critics were questioning its Best Picture Academy Award win, hailing the musical as emotionally void and lacking in narrative.
American Beauty
The movie might have earned top director Sam Mendes five Academy Awards, and there’s no denying that the performances, cinematography, and scriptwriting were top-notch. A middle-aged father lusting after his daughter’s teenage daughter, though, it’s beyond disturbing.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
In the movie that Audrey Hepburn is often most remembered for, Mickey Rooney’s emasculation of an Asian photographer is culturally devoid. The taped buck teeth, fake tan, and taped-back eyes made viewers laugh for all the wrong reasons.
Argo
Ben Affleck’s directorial debut scooped Best Picture at the 2013 Academy Awards, but Affleck was snubbed with a Best Director nomination. Perhaps it was due to the historical inaccuracies of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. While the movie was gripping, they made a secret escape look far too easy.
A Beautiful Mind
Russell Crowe stunned us with his portrayal of Nobel Laureate John Nash. More recently, the film has been criticized for inaccurate portrayals of each narrative. The romanticized representation of schizophrenia has also been slammed for its misconceptions about mental health.
Gone with the Wind
In 2020, US streaming service HBO Max placed a viewer warning on the 1939 film on the grounds of denying the horrors of slavery and portraying it in a normative light.
Life of Pi
Movie fans bought into the hype and watched the movie, but few felt it lived up to expectations. Beyond its stunning visuals, there was little in the way of narrative. Sadly, it was an empty vessel that didn’t have the backbone to earn longevity.
La La Land
Hollywood certainly knows how to hype, and we were left feeling like the overrated La La Land had been brutally forced upon us. The truth is that neither of the leads could sing or dance particularly well, and the movie bears no resemblance to its strong predecessors, such as Singin’ In The Rain.
Dumbo
Peel back the layers of Disney’s famous movie about a lovable, seemingly innocent elephant, and you’ll discover stereotypical racism. The group of crows that pay homage to racist minstrel shows and references to black segregation has given Dumbo a viewing disclaimer.
Flash Gordon
UK film sensors from the BBC placed viewer censorship on re-releases of 80’s show Flash Gordon due to the offensive nature of the character, Ming The Merciless. A white-skinned Swedish actor portraying an East Asian character would not be accepted nowadays.
Avatar
It may have smashed the box office, but the story amounts to very little behind the groundbreaking visuals. In fact, more problematic is the ‘white savior’ aspect of the film, which has become a tired concept in film.
Forrest Gump
One of Tom Hanks’ most beloved characters, Forrest Gump, had more flaws than we care to consider. Hanks’ portrayal of a comedic character with learning disabilities is wildly offensive and dumbs down political history.
Last Tango in Paris
The great Marlon Brando caused controversy during filming with his non-scripted improvisation of a violent assault scene. The late Maria Schneider later expressed her devastation after the scene played out and hailed her tears as the real deal.
