Adivi Sesh’s Take on Oscar Winning Film Sparks Debate

A bit from Adivi Sesh’s interview with Gulte Pro has sparked a debate on social media. While discussing international films and the recent Oscars, he said he didn’t like Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which wasn’t just a box office hit but also won critical acclaim, and made history at the Oscars securing 16 nominations and eventually winning four awards.

Sesh opined that Ryan’s Black Panther 1 and Love Sinners felt more like respect given to a new experiment, rather than recognition of a truly great experiment. He explained that Sinners tried to do a lot, which did not fully work for him as a viewer.

“As for Sinners, I didn’t quite understand what they were trying to show, whether it was a vampire film, a comment on racism, or a take on Black mysticism. So it didn’t sit well with me as a viewer,” he said.

Surprisingly, Sesh said that Ryan Coogler’s lineup felt very polarizing for him, as Creed 1 and Fruitvale Station were his all-time favorites, and both films were beautifully connected to him.

The question among film enthusiasts on social media seems to be: How can someone dislike such a hugely celebrated film? The fact that Adivi Sesh himself is a writer and director seems to be making things much more complicated. However, what needs to be understood here is that even though cinema is considered a medium for the masses, it is not to be forgotten that the impact it leaves to be extremely personal and could vary from individual to individual.

Moreover, instead of passing judgements or vague statements, Sesh clearly explained why he didn’t enjoy the film. Film discourse on social media has always been a toxic and negative space where an individual’s opinion is hardly treated as an opinion. Rather, it becomes a matter that forces people to take sides and debate, sometimes intensely.

As long as the debate is a healthy discussion on cinema and doesn’t become an attack on an individual for simply sharing an opinion, it’s all good. However, the chances of any personal opinion not triggering an ugly argument and personal attacks are very slim considering how toxic social media is turning out to be with each passing day.