The critics have not been kind to Eternals, Chloé Zhao’s adaption of the Marvel superhero comic of the same name. Currently, according to Rotten Tomatoes, it’s received only 47 per cent positive reviews, making it by far the most harshly drubbed movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
I went to see the movie with my partner Robin Ganev, a previous guest on this podcast, and we both liked it much more than the critics. In fact, we thought it was a much more ambitious movie, with its daring use of religious allegory, than usual MCU fare.
So, we recorded a podcast to dissent from the critical consensus and explore the movie in greater depth.
The two major critics we engage are Richard Brody of The New Yorker (whose review is here) and Mark Kermode of the BBC (whose review is here). In our podcast we try to show that these critics ignore what is in fact the central drama of the film, the question of whether created beings should revolt against their Creator. We also get into the Book of Job, John Milton, William Blake, theodicy, the TV show Lucifer, Jack Kirby and the many meanings of diversity.
(Post edited by Emily M. Keeler)
CORRECTION: In the podcast I mistakenly described Mark Kermode as the son of the critic Frank Kermode. The two men are in fact unrelated. Apologies.
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Podcast: Why Critics Are Wrong About Eternals