Spoiler Alert: The Internet Has Decided
From viral reviews and fan wars to OTT watchlists, social media is influencing what we watch. Are we choosing films or following the crowd?
A film releases on Friday. By lunchtime, X has declared it a disaster, Instagram is flooded with reaction reels, and WhatsApp groups have delivered their verdicts. The curious thing? Half the people discussing it may not have watched it.
Welcome to cinema in the age of instant opinions, where a film can be pronounced dead before its first weekend ends.
Tollywood offers a fascinating example. Ranabaali, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, generated box-office interest even as viewers debated its storytelling and performances. So, who gets the final word: critics, fan clubs or the person buying the ticket?
THE VERDICT BEFORE THE EXPERIENCE
Watching a movie today often begins long before the opening credits. Trailers trigger comparisons, influencers post reactions, and ratings circulate. By the time we consider booking tickets, somebody may already have decided for us.
“I have skipped films because the reviews were overwhelmingly negative, only to realise later that they were exactly the kind of films I enjoy,” says Ramya Reddy, an avid filmgoer. “Now, I try to watch a trailer and decide for myself. Reviews can guide you, but they cannot tell you whether a film will connect with you personally.”
One viewer’s masterpiece is another’s endurance test. Taste is personal; a rating cannot capture every individual response.
Film critic Murtaza Ali Khan believes that a film’s perception increasingly precedes the experience of watching it.
“The internet can help us discover cinema, but we must be careful not to let it experience cinema on our behalf,” he says.
WHEN FANDOM BECOMES A BOX-OFFICE WAR
For some fans, box-office collections have become a scoreboard. Every milestone is celebrated, every dip dissected, and criticism of a favourite star can trigger a digital pile-on. The discussion surrounding Nani’s The Paradise illustrates how anticipation and online debate can coexist.
“Sometimes, the conversation becomes more about which actor’s film wins at the box office than whether the film itself is good,” says film enthusiast Varun Lakkaraju. “We need to separate our love for a star from our judgement of a film.”
Online allegations of organised negative publicity are also frequently repeated as fact. Genuine criticism, fan rivalry and deliberate manipulation are not the same thing.
BOYCOTT TODAY, STREAM TOMORROW?
Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy attracted controversy and boycott calls over its transgender-centred story, illustrating how debates about a film’s subject can overshadow its filmmaking.
Meanwhile, OTT platforms offer an easy alternative. Why spend on tickets when a film will eventually arrive at home?
Waiting makes financial sense, particularly when reviews are mixed. But postponing a film for convenience is different from rejecting it because strangers have labelled it a failure.
WHO GETS THE LAST WORD?
“The internet doesn’t decide which films we watch; it decides how fast the verdict travels. Reels, reviews and memes shape first impressions, while fan wars and paid promotions can distort them. Online buzz drives openings and screen retention, but it’s a catalyst, not the cause. Strong content can still win audiences over. The first impression sets the pace, not the final verdict. In the end, content wins.”
— T.G.Viswa Prasad, producer and distributor
