Your guide to the La La Land backlash: eight things people hate

First it was lauded by critics. Then it took seven Golden Globes. Now, public opinion seems to be swinging the other way, and here are the reasons why

Reading Time:4 minutes

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in a still from La La Land.

Published: 6:30pm, 28 Jan 2017Updated: 6:30pm, 28 Jan 2017

When Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone’s La La Land won nearly universal praise from critics late last year as a delightful vestige of classic Hollywood musicals, you could practically feel the countdown start – when would the backlash begin?

It’s hard to pinpoint when the narrative changed from “Oh, you must see La La Land” to “Well, La La Land wasn’t that great.” But it seems that as more people see the film – as it has expanded from five cinemas in the US on December 9 to its widest release of 1,865 – public opinion is tilting toward the latter. Not that it really matters, the film, which won seven Golden Globes, landed 14 Oscar nominations on Tuesday, tying Titanic and All About Eve for the most nominations in history.

The mixed reactions to La La Land may have hit a peak last weekend, when Saturday Night Live aired a skit about a man (host Aziz Ansari) taken into police custody because he thought the film was decent ... but also boring. “La La Land is a perfect film!” roars one cop, played by Cecily Strong. “Ryan Gosling didn’t learn piano from scratch so some little p**** could come and nitpick!”

Similar to the show’s “Beygency” sketch, where a guy is hunted down because he thinks Beyoncé is pretty good instead of extraordinary, the effusiveness over La La Land – and whether it’s deserved – is now a punchline. Here’s a guide to the backlash, including the major issues people have with the film.

The film is a little dull

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x