With divisive sequels like Halloween Kills and The Last Jedi, more film discourse online seems to be one side of the fandom accusing the other that they "didn't get it." After all, if someone doesn't fully understand the filmmaker's intention, it can be hard to evaluate a movie on its terms, or even watch it in the right context.

So the movie fans of Reddit are talking about those movies that went over the audience's heads or were ultimately panned because critics and moviegoers just didn't get the point. This could be because moviegoers didn't give the film a chance, or because the filmmakers subverted people's expectations in ways that audiences weren't ready for.

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

Josie and the Pussycats cast

Live-action adaptations of old television shows tend to be cynical cash-grabs, so it's easy to imagine that nobody was that interested in giving Josie and the Pussycats a real chance at the theaters. So, unfortunately, the film's rather sharp and pointed satirical critiques of the music industry were largely lost on audiences who just thought it was a fluffy remake of an irrelevant property.

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Reddit user 28smalls calls this out, questioning audiences by writing "wasn't it meant to be a satire of the whole girl band thing, yet people took it seriously?" It can be easy to misinterpret a film or not pick up on its sense of humor, but it's still sad to see people largely dismiss a rather poignant critique of bubblegum entertainment as just being, well, bubblegum entertainment.

American History X (1997)

Edward Norton's character in a prison scene in American History X

One of the most charged and provocative movies of all time, American History X is one of the most powerful condemnations of bigotry and racism that cinema has ever produced. Unfortunately, the film is so loaded with hateful imagery and language, from Swastikas to White Power flags, that some viewers might tragically completely misunderstand the film and be swept up in the zealotry of its main characters.

Reddit users like bandit4loboloco point this out, writing "I knew a guy who got into white supremacy because of that movie." While the vast majority of audiences and critics recognized the film for the anti-fascist cautionary tale that it was, it's terrible to think that anyone could walk away as a believer of such a despicable ideology that the movie is dedicated to denouncing.

Wall Street (1987)

Wall Street 1987

Made at the height of Reganomics, Olive Stone make Wall Street to attack corporate America for their perceived lack of compassion and their worship of money. Michael Douglas' infamous character of Gordon Gekko personified all this with his iconic "greed is good" speech.

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Reddit user Gorf_the_Magnificent points out that many viewers misunderstood Stone's intentions and looked up to Gekko, writing "Don’t they realize that Gekko was the villain." It almost seems that Stone captured the Wall Street mindset so thoroughly that audiences that didn't realize that he was attempting to criticize characters like Gordon Gekko. Instead, all audiences saw was a powerful man played by a charismatic actor who represented the same wealth and allure that everyone was chasing back in the '80s.

Fight Club (1997)

Brad Pitt wearing a red leather jacket in Fight Club

While David Fincher's Fight Club is venerated as a modern classic that deconstructs masculinity and consumerism, critics and audiences didn't seem to understand Fincher's true intentions and just dismissed Fight Club as a testosterone-fueled movie for bros.

As Reddit user stubept points out, "Way too many people (especially when it first came out) dismissed it as a movie about sweaty guys beating each other up." Thankfully, audiences now have a better appreciation for Fight Club's true message, but it's a shame that it took so long for people to realize what Fincher was saying.

Scarface (1983)

Al Pacino as Tony Montana in Scarface

Similar to Gordon Gekko(another Oliver Stone character), Tony Montana is a cinematic icon that represents vice and excess. But that seems to have been lost on audiences, who have been intrigued by Montana's unabashed narcissism and his penchant for violence. In a time when both supply-side economics and the drug trade were on the rise, Tony Montana was designed to serve as a cautionary tale, but he's instead become a hero to many moviegoers.

Reddit user HermitLonerGuy points this out, writing "the whole point was not to be like him because, in the end, his arrogance caught up to him but people miss the point and act like Tony Montana and emulate him." Unfortunately, it seems too hard to show the dangers of a violent or amoral lifestyle without glorifying it at the same time.

Starship Troopers (1997)

Neil Patrick Harris in Starship Troopers

Another satire that wasn't fully appreciated at the time, audiences just thought Starship Troopers was another ultra-violent and anti-American outing from the infamous Paul Verhoven. It's only recently that fans have begun to truly appreciate the film's dark comedy and scathing critique of the American-military industrial complex.

Reddit users like mattswa comment on how long it took for audiences to come around to Starship Troopers, writing "Reviewers at the time didn't get it. Many years later they have come to appreciate what Verhoeven was doing." Indeed, the film that many accused of being fascist propaganda turned out to be a parody of fascist propaganda. Go figure.

Predator (1987)

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch in Predator aiming a machine gun while standing in front of jungle foliage

'80s action movies weren't typically known for their sociopolitical substance, which means that some of the more poignant political commentaries of the decade went under the radar. That seems to be the case for Predator, which many champions as a testament to the virtues of traditional masculinity. However, some Reddit users think Predator is critical of military culture.

That's what users like newscumskates argue, writing "It's actually extremely critical of US imperialism." While it's easy to be dazzled by the oily muscles on display, and the sheer excellence of the film itself, Predator might be targeting alpha males instead of glorifying them.

500 Days of Summer (2009)

Summer and Tom in 500 Days of Summer looking at each other lovingly.

One of the most acclaimed rom-coms of this century, 500 Days of Summer captivated audiences with its charming screenplay and colorful direction, not to mention the two ultra-likable performances of leads Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. That being said, 500 Days of Summer isn't your typical romantic comedy, and audiences didn't seem to pick up on how much the movie was actually critiquing the genre, as much as it played into it.

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Particularly, many viewers sympathized with Levitt's character, despite the fact that it feels more and more clear that he's in the wrong with every rewatch. Reddit users like HugeLeave5653 point out that audiences have missed the point of the film, writing "none of them ever mention that the entire point of the film is that she isn't a manic pixie dream girl and is a direct critique of that trope." 500 Days of Summer might be a movie for the heartbroken, but it's also for the heartbreakers.

Lost in Translation (2001)

Scarlet Johansson rests her head on Bill Murray's shoulder from Lost in Translation

Another romantic film, Lost in Translation was a critical darling when it came out, gaining Bill Murray an Oscar nomination and launching Sofia Coppola into super-stardom. But despite its popularity and the fact that it's been referenced and parodied dozens of times, it still seems that audiences don't fully grasp the true meaning of the film.

While it's ostensibly about a flirtatious romance between an older actor and a young, newly-wed wife, the film's themes of alienation go so much deeper, and its approach is so much subtler than people would think at first glance. Reddit users like NKevros even admit the film first went over their heads, writing "For me, I completely missed the point of Lost in Translation." It's a quiet film that asks the audience to fill in the blanks in so many ways, making it more engaging but also more ambiguous as a result.

A Knight's Tale (2001)

A fun medieval romp, this rags-to-riches tale was one of Heath Ledger's first star vehicles, and won audiences over with its sense of humor, particularly with Ledger's charisma. But while the film at first appears to be rather straightforward, it used some storytelling devices that took audiences aback.

Particularly, audiences didn't know what to make of the anachronistic music choices, such as "We Will Rock You" by Queen. This seemed wildly out of place for most viewers, who didn't understand what the filmmakers were going for. That's how Reddit user

razzleware felt, writing " I then later learned that it was intentional, and after that I felt so stupid after that." Thankfully, it's a creative choice that's paid off in the long run, as it appears that many period pieces are fond of using modern pop songs in order to make these classic stories feel more relevant and immediate to modern audiences.

Next: Heath Ledger & 9 Other Oscar Winners Who Overshadowed Amazing Performances By Co-Stars