The New Yorker’s film critic Richard Brody writes about how film criticism has evolved and fragmented as more critics turn to the internet for distribution. It’s a bit all over the place, in some ways a companion piece to what Manohla Dargis wrote originally in the NYT. But a few statements rang true, most notably how new online critics are shaping and influencing critical thought:
Ultimately, the question that Dargis poses is to herself, her editors, and other critics and journalists: namely, what, in the current diverse but fragmented world of movie viewing, are critics for, and what should they—should we—be doing? The Internet offers a wondrous diversity and quality of critical voices—and because many of the critics writing online aren’t constrained by the same editorial policies that narrowly define review-worthy releases, they’re distinguished as well by the wide spectrum of movies they cover. Maybe the readers of mainstream publications aren’t keeping up with the best of online film criticism, but the critics in mainstream publications are certainly doing so. Their influence may often be subterranean, but it’s also often strong and crucial.