What can a movie do to your brain

What do people mean when they say they need to be in a certain mood to watch a certain movie?

Isn’t the movie’s job to get you in the right mood so that you can watch it until the end?

Also is this a measure of how good a movie really is? I mean if it doesn’t get you somehow involved into it, if it doesn’t make you feel anything does that mean that the movie is bad?

I think, in general, there are no universally good or bad movies. As is with many things, there is that grey area that depends on so many variables like how much do you relate with the movie, how much do you like the actors or the story, how much do you really understand from the story, if it is told and shown to you in a confusing way and it’s not that „in your face” kind of story, and so on.

These thoughts were sparked into my head when I was watching a movie with many important nominations at this year’s awards. Usually, if I don’t really get a movie, I do go and read reviews written by brighter minds than mine, to try and make sense of it and especially find out why is a certain movie so appreciated beyond my understanding. Maybe did I need to be in a certain mood to appreciate more that certain movie? Or does it more likely all come down to expectations about what a certain movie should be? Who knows. Either way, I try really hard to not label a movie as being bad, because I didn’t get what the writers or the director was trying to say, because I know that would be a judgement error. I may not like it, but that does not mean it is a bad movie. As I said, I really try to make sense of it and finally appreciate the work that was done a bit more then I appreciated it when the movie ended.

Thing is, it does not bother me that I have to read more in order to appreciate a movie. Because beyond explanations and interpretations there may be certain fun trivia that could make me like a movie even more. I prefer this sort of a more-work procedure involving a movie, because it means that it sparked an interest and will not be forgotten soon. I grown to want to see movies with a challenging subject or with a different approach at representing an idea or a story. Films with that „in your face” kind of story and development started to bore me. I think this might be a bit arrogant from me or maybe is that my tastes in terms of movies are more likely changing. Or maybe a bit of both. But I do enjoy watching a more tricky movie and after it going online and searching for interpretations or explanations. I may be weird like that.