Thank you, unhinged cinematic detective

I don’t analyze movies while I watch them.

I simply watch the movie, and either I like it or I don’t. Thumbs up or thumbs down.

That’s enough for me. It’s a binary enjoyment protocol that makes my life easier

Not that I don’t love dissecting and researching and reflecting on the things that I observe. But I try to prioritize enjoyment over critique. To optimize for experiential processing, not analytical posturing. Where the goal is to immerse myself in the sensory and emotional aspects of whatever the thing is.

I want to feel all of that on an intuitive level first. There will be plenty of time for analysis later.

Now, some people have a natural inclination towards forensics. You go see a movie with them, and the moment you walk out of the theater, they start itemizing plot holes. Tearing apart the screenplay for inconsistencies. They launch into their film school rant about how the third act was a jumbled mess of garbage.

The movie introduced too many new characters. Then the director started philosophizing about power dynamics and gender roles. Oh, and that final twist where the trauma survivor resurfaces a year later to get revenge on the jerk who drugged her in the nightclub? Please. Not buying that.

Thank you, unhinged cinematic detective, for turning every film experience into a grueling autopsy. Congratulations on your one star review.

Look, I’m not telling anyone how to watch movies. I just think people who go through life this way are less happy. Evaluative perfectionism keeps them perpetually frustrated and dissatisfied.

And I’m not alone in this theory. I found a study published in the journal of positive psychology about this very behavior. A growing body of evidence has converged on the finding that engaging in an experiential processing mode bolsters positive affective experience. Savoring things without immediate critique improves wellbeing and leads to a greater sense of contentment.

Whereas hyper analysis leads to rumination, which negatively impacts mental health.

Not to mention, it’s draining as shit to be around.

Do you optimize for experiential processing or analytical posturing?