By Ryan Foster — Movie fan with unpopular opinions. Willing to change them sometimes.
Last updated: April 2026
Everyone told me to watch La La Land. “You will love it,” they said. “It is beautiful,” they said. “The ending,” they said, with that look people get when they do not want to spoil something but also want you to know they felt something.
I watched it. I hated it.
Not the ending. The whole thing. The singing felt forced. The characters made bad decisions. The movie seemed to think it was deeper than it was.
For years, I told people “I am the one person who did not like La La Land.”
Then, a few months ago, I watched it again. Not because I wanted to. Because my partner had never seen it. I sat through it again, prepared to be annoyed.
Something strange happened. I did not love it. But I did not hate it either.
What Changed
The first time, I was watching the movie I wanted it to be. Not the movie it was.
I wanted the singing to be amazing. It was fine.
I wanted the characters to be likable. They were not.
I wanted a happy ending. I did not get one.
The second time, I watched the movie on its own terms.
The singing is fine. That is okay. Not every musical needs to be Les Mis.
The characters make bad decisions. That is the point. They are young and stubborn.
The ending is not happy. That is also the point. Sometimes love is not enough. Timing matters.
I did not leave the second viewing in tears like everyone else. But I understood why they were.
Other Movies I Changed My Mind About
The English Patient (1996)
First time: Boring. Long. Why do people love this?
Second time (years later): Noticed the cinematography. The restraint. The sadness. Still slow. But now I understood why the slowness mattered.
Frozen (2013)
First time: Overrated. The songs are everywhere. The twist was fine.
Second time (watching with a niece): Realized I missed the point. The movie is not about the twist. It is about the relationship between the sisters. That is not for me. It is for kids who need to see that.
The Shining (1980)
First time: Not scary. Just weird.
Second time (after reading about it): Noticed the impossible windows. The changing furniture. The fact that Jack is crazy before they even arrive. Still not scary. But brilliantly made.
What I Learned
First impressions are not final.
You can watch a movie at the wrong time. In the wrong mood. With the wrong expectations. That does not mean the movie is bad. It just means you were not ready.
I also learned that being wrong about a movie is not embarrassing. It is just an invitation to try again.
What I Am Not Saying
I am not saying you should rewatch every movie you hated. Life is short. Some movies are just bad.
I am not saying your first opinion is wrong. Sometimes you are right. The movie is overrated.
I am just saying: if a lot of people love something and you hate it, it is worth asking why. Not because you have to change your mind. Because you might learn something about the movie. Or about yourself.
A Small Suggestion
Pick one movie everyone loves that you hate. Wait at least two years. Watch it again.
Do not watch it to prove yourself right. Watch it to see if you missed something.
Maybe you will still hate it. That is fine. You tried.
Or maybe you will see something new. That is worth the two hours.
The Bottom Line
I hated La La Land the first time. Years later, I did not hate it. I still do not love it. But I understand it now.
Sometimes our first opinion is not wrong. It is just incomplete.
Movies do not change. But we do.
About the author: Ryan Foster watches a lot of movies. He is wrong about some of them. He tries to notice which ones.
This article is for entertainment purposes. Movie tastes are subjective. What works for one person may not work for another.
