Merriam-Webster defines nostalgia as “a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition.” When we think of nostalgia, we usually think of our memories with family and old friends, or even things like a smell that can trigger a sense of nostalgia. We don’t really think about how it impacts our interactions with entertainment (movies, shows, music, etc.). The anger people feel when a remake of something they once loved is made is mostly irrational, but incredibly interesting, and something no one ever really talks about.
As new techniques and ideas started to be discovered and developed, companies and artists have started to produce once-popular works of entertainment, including live-action remakes. Recently, the trailer for the live-action How to Train Your Dragon was released, and sparked an immense amount of outrage for many different reasons. While most of the outrage was over the casting, others were annoyed, upset, and mad about the fact that it just looks so similar to the original animation, and it made people ask the question of why we even needed a remake of an already loved movie. Movie-watchers and critics tend to forget that people are always begging for a live-action of an animated movie. Instead of criticizing the fact that these live-actions are being made, critics should be able to either ignore the release, or separate it from the original, no matter how similar it is. This critique though, is one of the only valid takes when it comes to remakes and reboots.
On Nov. 21, the remake of Cruel Intentions was released on Prime Video. I had gone into the show not knowing about the original 1999 movie, except for the fact that my mom said, “Wasn’t that released a long time ago?” I binged the entire show in one sitting from 10pm to 4am, and completely messed up my sleep schedule for that weekend. It was worth it. I was in shock by how good it was and how much I enjoyed it. Afterwards, I went online and watched edits of the show (like any sane entertainment enjoyer does) and realized how annoyed people were by this remake. It really made me wonder if people were able to enjoy anything without comparing it to something they grew up with or loved in their youth. Obviously, I knew I had to watch the movie, so that’s what I did, and I discovered that the movie really wasn’t that good, except for the casting. The movie timeline was hard to follow and the acting wasn’t incredible. It was way too short and lacked depth, while the show made the timeline and character development more cohesive and enjoyable to watch. So, as someone who didn’t grow up on the movie, I was able to separate the two forms of media.
Another example is the Gossip Girl reboot that was inevitably canceled after only two seasons due to the fact that it wasn’t up to the standards of the fans of the original show. This was incredibly disappointing as someone who enjoyed the show, because I was able to separate it from the original, which also happened to be my favorite show, and something I grew up on. People’s lack of ability to separate something in the past from something current is disheartening, due to the fact that so many shows and sequels get canceled from negative reviews on streaming services nowadays.Â
And of course, as a Swiftie, I have to mention the anger that comes out of nonfans when they discuss Taylor Swift’s discography. The critiques from people who don’t even know the reasons behind why she has re-released, so far, four of her albums, and don’t even bother to research why, is frustrating. But also, I think one the biggest questions I pose to those people is, why do you care, and how does it affect you? And the fans that say her re-releases lack emotion and have worse production do not understand the nuance when it comes to her writing. She may not have the same emotion she once had, but there isn’t a complete lack of it in her voice and production.
This goes without saying, but if you aren’t a fan, why let something upset you so much? Of course, critiques exist for a reason, but they should not be rooted in hatred. If it’s just meanness and anger, instead of helpful and constructive feedback, then why put it out there to the public? Why not just keep it in the group chat?