Negative Reviews for ‘Rebel Moon’ “Really Affected Me”

Sofia Boutella is striking back at the critics who “demolished” Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire in their negative reviews of the sci-fi film.

The actress recently opened up to Vulture about her reaction to the rough reviews the Zack Snyder-directed film received last year when it released on Netflix.

“I always thought that I was fully armed to take on those punches, and then I read the critics that came down on Rebel Moon and it really affected me,” Boutella, who plays Kora in the movie, said. “And I’m just gonna be honest about it. I feel like I’m carrying it for everybody that cared so much about this project, and that’s what affected me. Not the way I look. If anything, I’ve been pretty lucky and people like my work in it, but the movie was criticized.”

Rebel Moon — Part One faced harsh criticism from film critics, including The Guardian calling it “an ugly, unforgivably dull and self-serious mess,” and IndieWire dubbing it Snyder’s worst film. The Hollywood Reporter‘s chief film critic David Rooney wrote in his review, “This is a derivative crazy-quilt endeavor loaded with enough plot to plug up a black hole but only the most feebly drawn characters to do the work.”

Boutella added that the criticism “really affected me for all of those who put so much heart, tears, and sweat in this project. It’s hard to see something being demolished to that extent. I’m proud to have been part of it, and if there is no more Rebel Moon, it will be a very important part of my life that I will defend forever.”

The film, which follows a mysterious stranger who provides hope for survival to the denizens on a distant moon amid threats by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, is the first in a two-part saga. The follow-up movie, The Scargiver, is set to hit Netflix on April 19.

Rebel Moon — Part One also starred Charlie Hunnam, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona, Ray Fisher and the voice of Anthony Hopkins.