Why Film Critics Must Reclaim Cinema as Art
Film criticism once shaped cinema.
André Bazin’s theories on realism, Manny Farber’s notion of “termite art,” and Serge Daney’s deep explorations of film as experience all influenced how we understand cinema. Criticism wasn’t just about reviewing films—it was about defining what cinema could be.
Today, that power has shifted.
Mainstream film criticism is now largely shaped by industry cycles. Reviews align with festival premieres, dictated by PR strategies. Star ratings and box office figures have overshadowed deeper artistic discussions.
The role of the critic as a curator and intellectual guide has been diminished.
How We Got Here: From Critique to Consumer Guidance
Once, critics wrote manifestos. They challenged conventions. They championed difficult, radical films that changed the medium.
Now, even the best-intentioned critics often function as consumer guides. Reviews focus on whether a film is “worth your money” rather than whether it expands cinema as an art form. The over-reliance on aggregator sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic reduces criticism to a percentage score—an easy metric for studios to leverage but a devastating loss for artistic discourse.
Meanwhile, film festivals—the traditional gatekeepers of artistic cinema—have commercialized. The red carpet and market deals often take precedence over artistic discovery. The very critics who should challenge this system often find themselves embedded within it.
The Forgotten Role of the Critic
Critics once had the power to create value, not just report on it. Pauline Kael turned directors like Scorsese and Altman into legends. Jonathan Rosenbaum championed filmmakers like Kiarostami when few others did. Even when opinions were divisive, they mattered.
But today, where are the champions of art cinema? Who is standing up for the films that refuse easy categorization? Who is questioning why festival selections increasingly favour social-political narratives over radical aesthetics? Who is defending slow, poetic, non-narrative cinema against an industry obsessed with “watchability” and “engagement metrics”?
The critic’s role must evolve again—not as an industry accessory but as a protector of cinema’s artistic integrity.
A New Space for Cinematic Criticism
The Cinema Sanctum is offering an alternative.
We are building a space where cinema is valued as fine art. Where films are preserved, commissioned, and curated not based on festival trends, but on their artistic significance. Where critics, scholars, and cinephiles can reclaim the authority that once defined film culture.
This is an invitation for critics to break free from the industry cycle and redefine their role—not as passive observers, but as active curators of cinema’s future.
Cinema does not need another review site. It needs a sanctum.
The Question Critics Must Ask Themselves
If film critics won’t defend cinema as art, who will?
If you believe cinema deserves a sanctuary, we invite you to step inside.
Let us know what you think in the comments!