Logo - Feel The Words

Bad Review Quotes

Criticism, and what survives it.

These quotes come from people who've actually weathered a bad review — including one whose show got panned by The New York Times and still became a lasting success, and a first-time recipient who found the experience oddly maturing.

It makes it difficult to decide which to go see, since no film about say, some tragic genocide in Africa is going to get a bad review even if it's poorly made.

Quotes by Terry Zwigoff

Even reading my first bad review was an awesome experience. It was cool because you make something and not everybody's going to like it. I felt like that kind of grew me up a little bit into a professional. I...

Quotes by Ryan Coogler

With all of my films if I get one bad review and a bunch of good reviews the bad one is the only one that will stay with me, which really sucks!

Quotes by Peter Farrelly

I was in the original cast of 'Wicked', and that got a bad review in 'The New York Times,' and it's the most successful thing that's ever been put onstage.

Quotes by Norbert Leo Butz

Africa Quotes

If you take yourself too seriously, something like a bad review could put you off your stride.

Quotes by Lewis Capaldi

My mum and dad have made Twitter accounts, and they will send me links if there is a bad review and tell me they'll find out where the reviewer lives.

Quotes by Lewis Capaldi

I've never seen a film get away completely unscathed like I have 'Animal Kingdom.' There's not a single bad review that I've read of it yet; all through Sundance, all it got was high praise.

Quotes by Joel Edgerton

With every interview you feel like you lose a piece of yourself, and with every bad review you become just that little bit more bitter. It is horrible in a way.

Quotes by Jane March

A bad review is even less important than whether it is raining in Patagonia.

Quotes by Iris Murdoch

Animal Quotes

You get a bad review with a novel, and it hurts. But I imagine if you get a bad review with a memoir, it hurts more because you can always say, 'Well, they didn't like my characters,' but when you're...

Quotes by Darin Strauss

A bad review is like baking a cake with all the best ingredients and having someone sit on it.

Quotes by Danielle Steel

I prefer a good review. A bad review that dismisses us... I take it with a grain of salt. I go, 'Okay, they didn't even try.'

Quotes by Benji Madden

I wish I could be like Shaw who once read a bad review of one of his plays, called the critic and said: 'I have your review in front of me and soon it will be behind me.'

Quotes by Barbra Streisand

Since I got a really bad review when I was, like, 28 in 'The New York Times,' I don't read reviews anymore.

Quotes by Amanda Peet

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this Bad Review quotes collection about?
It gathers quotes from people who've actually weathered a bad review — including a Broadway show that got panned by The New York Times and still became one of the most successful things ever staged.
Why do people search for quotes about bad reviews?
Creative people facing criticism often want to see how others handled a bad review, making this a natural search for actors, writers, and filmmakers alike.
Is there a quote about a film that avoided bad reviews entirely?
Yes, one quote describes a film that came away completely unscathed through festival season, contrasting the usual sting of criticism with the rare experience of near-universal praise.
Does this collection touch on why some films avoid criticism regardless of quality?
It does — one quote notes that certain serious subject matter can make a film effectively review-proof, since critics are reluctant to pan it even when the filmmaking itself is weak.
Where can I find related quotes about facing criticism?
Our Animal quotes and Go quotes both touch on nearby ground worth exploring alongside this collection.

For more from actors and filmmakers on craft under scrutiny, see our Animal quotes. If you want the flip side of near-universal praise, Go quotes is worth a look too.