Thoughts on Hidden Figures (2016)?

Definitely skip this one.

Lol why 🤣

It’s because they fall into that category of movies where you can just glance at the poster or catch a glimpse of the plot summary and instantly know exactly how the whole thing is going to play out.

It feels entirely formulaic—basically, if I see that pattern, I'm skipping it 90% of the time.

It can't possibly be worse than something like Passengers
It’s fine if you just want to kill an hour or two without having to strain your brain trying to decipher what the author was actually getting at... because it’s blindingly obvious they're just pushing that typical Tumblr user narrative that Black people are somehow more intelligent than white people. It's just more of that propaganda that only lands with Americans—and specifically those types who make a career out of typing out angry rants about societal injustice on their keyboards.

I’m actually really looking forward to this one.

There’s just something about movies based on true stories. Lately, it feels like they’ve been hitting the mark almost every single time.

Plus, you can't go wrong with Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer on screen together. 👍

Does anyone happen to have any inside scoop on when this film is actually hitting theaters here in the States?

There aren't many Oscar winners, but I caught the trailer before La La Land and it actually looks pretty good.

The concept here is solid. You’ve got these women—the actual brains behind massive breakthroughs—who were basically ignored by history for decades.
It’s an inspiring true story about three incredibly sharp women working at a NASA research center, all fighting just to get a seat at the table. 👍 To make matters worse, they’re Black women living through the height of segregation.

But despite that killer premise, the movie itself turns out to be pretty mediocre and frankly, a bit dull. 👎
The clichés are practically screaming at you from every frame. It’s your typical American drama filled with shallow, predictable maneuvering.
Suddenly, every white character is either a blatant racist or a total airhead, while every Black character is portrayed as this tireless hero whose every move is designed to pull at your heartstrings. Give me a break. Of course, because the script demands it, there’s always THAT one white guy who finally "sees" the genius in a woman and helps her reach the stars—just so we can all feel like better people. 🐔
By the end, your average American viewer walks away thinking these three women were the sole masterminds behind everything at NASA. I can't even imagine how this played for anyone more informed... or heaven forbid, for the actual people who worked there and lived through it. 🤦
But hey, the director doesn't really care.
Racism is always a profitable theme for hitting the box office, and that’s exactly what happened here. He massaged the truth to fit the trend, and he wasn't worried about the fallout.
The high ratings? Honestly, I think they come from critics being too terrified of looking like racists themselves—because when I read those glowing reviews, I don't see the same movie I saw.
Taraji wasn't anything special to me. Just totally middle-of-the-road.
Janelle and Octavia Spencer completely outshined her.
I actually listen to Janelle—she’s a wonderful musician with FANTASTIC energy, and she managed to channel all of that right into her character.

White savior 🤣

Does anyone happen to know where I might be able to track down this movie with English subtitles? I've been searching high and low, but I honestly can't seem to find it anywhere!

It’s just another political slog, honestly—entirely formulaic and predictable. I don't have any problem with the heavy accents or the drawn-out way they speak, but it felt like the same tired tropes we saw in Fences. Even that scene where the woman in the car puts her feet up on the dashboard feels like a blatant attempt to signal some sort of laid-back attitude, which seems a bit ironic considering these people are supposed to be working at NASA.
There have been plenty of much better films out there that didn't even get an Oscar nod.

It’s actually a really solid film. Honestly, if someone is only going to focus on the technicality of how they were lifting their legs in the car, then I have nothing to say to them. 🤣
The movie is based on real people, though obviously, not every single detail is strictly factual. To me, it serves as a heartbreaking look at segregation, even within an advanced scientific system that was working tirelessly to send man into space. It highlights a truly pitiful mentality in America and the terrible way Black Americans were treated by white society—and we're talking about just half a century ago. While the film was meant to showcase the struggle for fundamental human rights and the progress made along that path, it left me with a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. It’s hard to stomach the fact that such treatment was even possible in what we consider an advanced, civilized world. It feels like a movie that leans into showing the absolute worst of humanity, and the most unsettling part is realizing that this was likely the reality just twenty years before I was even born.

It’s a classic piece of American filmmaking. Like someone already pointed out, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. There's this one scene that really sticks out where this white NASA guy ends up smashing a bathroom used by Black employees because he had absolutely no clue he was even in that building—not realizing they have to walk a mile just to find a restroom. And this is the same guy supposedly sending people to the Moon.

On the flip side, the historical aspect of all this gets me thinking... You have the US maintaining slavery while other civilized nations moved past it ages ago. Then, once they finally abolish it, you get racial segregation that still lingers in certain ways today. Yet, somehow, none of that stops them from lecturing the rest of the world on how wrong it all was, all while churning out those tear-jerker movies about the subject to rake in millions of dollars.

Bloody priceless.

I’ll just say this—Janelle 😍

Bad movie. It was boring and dragged on from the very first minute. It feels like they're just playing the political and racial card, which is basically their only "selling point." When the actual story takes a backseat to politics and forced social redemption, it’s never going to work. 1/5.

Intriguing plot. It would have been just as compelling if it had focused on any women at all—but then again, it wouldn't have swept the Oscar nominations 🙂. I went down a rabbit hole reading up on the actual history behind the film; most of it holds water, but the achievements are inflated, the hardships are exaggerated, the timelines are shifted, and certain events are blown way out of proportion—basically, it's all cinematic fluff 😬. Still, it’s an entertaining kind of fluff. I’ve always had a soft spot for movies like this.

bluebison47 said:I'll just leave this here—Janelle 😍

Absolutely 😍

It’s a shame they didn't walk away with the win in the end. Then again, I honestly couldn't pick anyone else to take the trophy; every winner this year has been solid.
At least they got the nomination. The audience clearly sees their value, too—if I'm not mistaken, they’ve probably pulled in more revenue than any other nominee so far. 👍