History YMMV / DeathNote2017

* NeverLiveItDown: To most of the fans, this movie (along with others like ''Film/GhostInTheShell2017'') is ultimately considered as their last straw on not being skeptical towards any possible decent Hollywood adaptations of anime and manga in the future, since the release of ''Film/DragonBallEvolution''.

** Lakeith Stanfield's being cast as L received some criticism due to being a black, athletic actor playing a character who is known for being incredibly pale and gaunt... and [[RaceLift white]].

* HilariousInHindsight:
** Given that Creator/WillemDafoe is playing Ryuk, and the Death Note usually kills people by heart attack, it's hard to not hear [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy "We attack his HEART!" or "Little girlfriend"]] in the same way again.
*** Ryuk's usual actor, Shido Nakamura, even went on to voice [[Film/Venom2018 Venom]] [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2 after already playing Electro]].

* QuestionableCasting: Many of the casting choices raised eyebrows among fans due to all the {{Race Lift}}s involved:

** Averted with Creator/WillemDafoe, whose casting as Ryuk has been met with virtually universal praise. Even the most ardent anime and manga purists consider him a positive point for the film.

** Light Turner. Most fans of the manga and anime hate that the fact that the fashionable Light was changed from a cold, cruel, calculating mastermind into a bullied badly dressed nerd who was desperate for a girl's attention. However others think it's a clever {{Deconstruction}} of these types of characters and a very sympathetic anti-hero.

* CriticProof: Despite being bashed to no end by critics and ''especially'' fans, ''Death Note'' made Netflix enough money that they greenlit the sequel. The sequel is seemingly stuck in DevelopmentHell for the time being though as of 2019, the most Netflix producers would say is that 'something' was in the works, and with COVID-19 slamming most filming to a halt in 2020, the likelihood of a finalized sequel before 2021 is slim.

** L's character trait of having a SweetTooth is explained here as him obsessively eating sugar for... [[ArtisticLicenseBiology excess insulin to somehow keep his body running for multiple days and only needing to sleep for an hour.]]

** The entire premise of the climax can be hilarious when you take into account the manga/anime, as [[https://youtu.be/qDIZA8I7IEk?t=5334 one reactor points out:]]

** Mia and just about everything to do with her relationship with Light. Did she actually have feelings for him like her manga counterpart or was she a ManipulativeBitch suffering from hybristophilia who eventually became [[spoiler:addicted to the notebook's powers?]]

*** Ryuk's usual actor, Shido Nakamura, even went on to voice [[Film/Venom2018 Venom]] [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2 after already playing Electro.]]

* WTHCastingAgency: Many of the casting choices raised eyebrows among fans due to all the {{Race Lift}}s involved:
** The biggest one being Nat Wolff as Light himself, because he's [[NeverLiveItDown best remembered]] for starring in a [[Series/TheNakedBrothersBand universally-hated Nickelodeon kids show]]. Which is ''surprising'' considering his brother Alex Wolff would actually garner a much better reputation thanks to ''Film/{{Hereditary}}''.
** Lakeith Stanfield's being cast as L received some criticism due to being a black, athletic actor playing a character who is known for being incredibly pale and gaunt... and [[RaceLift white]].
** Averted with Creator/WillemDafoe, whose casting as Ryuk has been met with virtually universal praise. Even the most ardent anime and manga purists consider him a positive point for the film.

* NeverLiveItDown: To most of the fans, this movie (along with others like ''Film/GhostInTheShell'') is ultimately considered as their last straw on not being skeptical towards any possible decent Hollywood adaptations of anime and manga in the future, since the release of ''Film/DragonBallEvolution''.

*** Ryuk's usual actor even went on to play [[Film/Venom2018 Venom]] [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2 after already playing Electro.]]

* BrokenBase: Some fans thought that the RaceLift complaints were hypocritical, considering that this movie was never intended to be a faithful adaptation, but an "American version" of the original ''Death Note'' manga, and the fact of there being four previous Japanese live action adaptations already.[[note]]''Death Note'', ''Death Note 2: The Last Name'', ''L: Change the World'' and ''Death Note: Light Up the New World''.[[/note]] On the other hand, other people retorted they weren't really criticizing the movie for being different from the manga and anime, as much as they were upset that Japanese-American actors were being turned down for an anime-based movie comprised of originally Japanese characters in favor of white actors, when Hollywood is predominantly white already and these white actors would have an easy time finding work elsewhere. The Japanese movies didn't really change anything because Japanese-American actors can't exactly be cast in them, and while the American movie could have gotten away with casting characters like Watari or even L as Euro-American, that isn't the case with characters like Light and Misa who were explicitly intended to be Japanese.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** One of the complaints from the first screenings were the Light/Mia sex scenes. These scenes were removed from the released cut.
** A common question asked by some viewers about the manga was "What if that criminal was acquitted or wrongfully convicted?". Light and Mia are shown to target people such as cartel members, terrorists, and enforcers in dictatorships. Light even asks Mia that exact same question when visiting the Kira website.

** The scene where the FBI agents slow-motion walk off the roof of a building to their deaths, especially with the choice of music playing and how it abruptly ends with a split-second graphic shot of a body hitting the ground. This [[NarmCharm doubles]] as NightmareFuel, as it's the image for [[NightmareFuel/DeathNote2017 the film's Nightmare Fuel page]].

** The trio of Benoit, Malenko and Guerrero were referred to as "The Holy Trinity" or "The New Japan 3."

** [[WebVideo/AvatarTheAbridgedSeries Zhao]] once said that he attended the Light Yagami School of Strategy, concluding that he could "practically predict the future." The Light of this film [[spoiler: literally writes out the entire ending of the film by sentencing certain characters to die after completing his orders, meaning that he actually does know the future.]]

** The logical changes made to the plot of the L Arc were also widely hated; see the WhatAnIdiot section below for details why.

* EndingAversion: Fans of the series decried the ending of the film as completely antithetical to the original anime, where [[spoiler:Light manages to contrive a way to officially escape suspicion as a Kira suspect and outsmart L, effectively meaning [[KarmaHoudini he's gotten away with all of his crimes]]. In addition, the final part of the ending that implies L will write Light's name into the Death Note as revenge goes completely against his character as a detective who wants to bring about justice through the rule of law (though it is implied he won't go through with it because of this). It's been accused by many of feeling like the movie was made by members of the original series' infamous MisaimedFandom who actually saw Light as the perfect hero of his delusions.]]

* FanNickname: The trio of Benoit, Malenko and Guerrero were referred to as "The Holy Trinity" or "The New Japan 3."

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Mia not using the Death Note's powers to [[spoiler: manipulate Light into passing ownership to her proves to be her undoing.]]
** L not taking the same safety measures that he has to keep [[spoiler:Watari safe]], and then becoming incredibly reckless due to his desire for vengeance afterward.
** L is supposed to be a super secretive person, not exposing his real identity so he do his sleuthing undetected...[[FridgeLogic so why would he give a public press conference with his eyes and hands exposed, showing the world that he can be identified as an African-American male?]]
** Light [[spoiler: telling someone he doesn't know that well about the Death Note and what it can do after his first kill with it. It's a wonder how he's surprised when Mia betrays him.]]
** Light and Mia [[spoiler: talking about the Death Note out loud in public in crowded areas.]]

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: Even the movie's harshest detractors will generally praise Willem Dafoe's performance as Ryuk.
** Mia’s actress, she actually does a great job with the character type she’s been given.
** Creator/LakeithStanfield may have been stuck with a version of L who is wildly different from the original, but he clearly gives the film his all. He actually seemed to understand manga L pretty well, using some of manga L’s unique mannerisms in his performance whenever he could, while also giving L an edge of cool when possible. He also played the angry, emotional parts of L the movie needed and sometimes those moments actually (almost) worked.

** Is Ryuk really an example of AdaptationalVillainy? Given that he's dealing with a less proactive version of Light, he probably feels the need to push him further than manga Ryuk ever had to.

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Unlike Misa in the manga, Mia is more intelligent and competent, less of an obnoxious Light {{fangirl}}, and even [[spoiler: tries to OutGambit him so that she could take the Death Note]]. There are viewers who thought that was a huge improvement over the source material, [[BaseBreakingCharacter while others disliked the change]] due to how unlikable and unsympathetic Mia turns out to be in order to make Light look good.

** L not taking the same safety measures that he has to keep [[spoiler:Watari safe]], and then becoming incredibly reckless due to his desire for vengeance afterard.

* BrokenBase: Some fans thought that the RaceLift complaints were hypocritical, considering that this movie was never intended to be a faithful adaptation, but an "American version" of the original Death Note manga, and the fact of there being four previous Japanese live action adaptations already.[[note]]''Death Note'', ''Death Note 2: The Last Name'', ''L: Change the World'' and ''Death Note: Light Up the New World''.[[/note]] On the other hand, other people retorted they weren't really criticizing the movie for being different from the manga and anime, as much as they were upset that Japanese-American actors were being turned down for an anime-based movie comprised of originally Japanese characters in favor of white actors, when Hollywood is predominantly white already and these white actors would have an easy time finding work elsewhere. The Japanese movies didn't really change anything because Japanese-American actors can't exactly be cast in them, and while the American movie could have gotten away with casting characters like Watari or even L as Euro-American, that isn't the case with characters like Light and Misa who were explicitly intended to be Japanese.

* JerkassWoobie: Whilst Light's already somewhat sympathetic, he crosses straight into being this when [[spoiler: Mia kills the FBI Agents and tries to goad him into going after his father. Ryuk and Mia screw him up badly. In reality, unlike his main universe counterpart, Light is probably the least evil person the Death Note could have gone to.]]

** L's character trait of having a SweetTooth is explained here as him obsessively eating sugar for... [[ArtisticLicenseBiology excess insulin to keep his body running for multiple days and only needing to sleep for an hour.]]

* NeverLiveItDown: To most of the fans, this movie (along with others like ''Film/GhostInTheShell'') is ultimately considered as their last straw on not being skeptical towards any possible decent Hollywood adaptations of Anime and Manga in the future, since the release of ''Film/DragonBallEvolution''.

* PanderingToTheBase: The film is a dream come true for the Light fanboys and fangirls, portraying Ryuk as taking a much more direct role in urging him to use the Note rather than just sitting back and enjoying the show, and Mia as the evil one who drove him to all his more questionable acts. [[spoiler:At the film's end Light kills Mia and is implied to be on the way to becoming the truly benevolent god of the original Light's delusions... unless L makes a martyr of him, anyway.]]
** However, this is offset by Light becoming an AdaptationalWimp in the process, displaying far less of the original Light's intelligence, charisma and style that made him so popular amongst fans to begin with, also without his romance with L we a stuck with Light-Lite.

* SoBadItsGood: The movie is pretty inconsistent in tone, can be considered a heavily misguided adaptation of the original work, and has more than a few scenes making it come off as unintentionally funny such as the [[SoundtrackDissonance inappropriate choices in music]], but this can make it actually very entertaining to watch. It can also be noted that the cast and crew (in the end credits) seemed to have had fun making the film too, so least it can be said it wasn't downright all bad for everybody.

** Light's characterization was easily one of the most controversial things about the film. Many fans were upset by the fact that Light Turner is [[AdaptationalHeroism much more innocent and less malicious]] than Yagami.
*** Others don’t like that Light is a bullied, badly dressed nerd with bad hair, who’s straight.
** Fans were also upset that L is portrayed as a much more [[HotBlooded wrathful]] version.

** Many a fan's reaction to the film's mere existence being announced, with many accusing it of [[RaceLift whitewashing]] (and the reverse with L's race).

** Some critics, such as [[http://www.indiewire.com/2017/08/death-note-review-netflix-adam-wingard-1201868224/ David Ehrlich]] of ''Indie Wire'', pointed out the film could have justified (or at least made use of) its new American setting by exploring issues unique to the US, such as racism within the legal system[[note]]a topic which would have added potent subtext to the conflict between Light, the white son of a police officer, and L, a young black detective[[/note]] or American interventionism as the "World Police."[[note]] Light and Mia's targets with the Death Note include dictators and crime lords around the world, which raises all sorts of questions about Light (and America) assuming the role of global peacekeeper, such as where they chose to intervene, the manner of intervention, and whether they truly understand the ramifications of their actions.[[/note]] Unfortunately, the movie never really dives into larger social themes, focusing on teen romance drama and crime thriller elements instead. The deaths of high-profile criminals and dictators are brushed over as part of the Kira montage, while the topic of race never comes up in any meaningful way.[[note]]The film ''kind of'' touches on race when a bystander comes across a [[NotWhatItLooksLike hoodie-wearing L threatening an unarmed Light with a gun in a back alley]] and [[{{Profiling}} knocks L out]]... but it turns out the bystander is a Kira-worshipper and saved Light after L loudly accused him of being Kira, rendering any subtext moot[[/note]]

** Some believe that rather than adapt the L arc, this movie should have told its own story set in the Death Note universe. As pointed out by WebVideo/TheDomReviews, the movie would have been much better off as a sequel/spinoff to Death Note than an adaptation of it. The idea of Ryuk being bored again and giving the Death Note to an American teenage boy, unrelated to Light would have solved much of the movie's problems. The movie characters' departure from their source counterparts would have become fully justified as they are no longer supposed to be the same people.

** Creator/LakeithStanfield may have been stuck with a version of L who is wildly different from the original, but he clearly gives the film his all.
*** He actually seemed to understand manga L pretty well, using some of manga L’s unique mannerisms in his performance whenever he could, while also giving L an edge of cool when possible. He also played the angry, emotional parts of L the movie needed and sometimes those moments actually (almost) worked.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To Wingard's earlier film, ''Film/TheGuest''; between the neon, the synthesizer music, and the SoundtrackDissonance with 80s songs (including a notable use of Air Supply), the two films are fairly similar stylistically.

*** He actually seemed to understand manga L pretty well, using some of manga L’s unique mannerisms in his performance when possible, while giving L his own edge. He also played the angry, emotional parts of L the movie needed well, and when they worked, they worked well.

*** He actually seemed to understand the L from the manga pretty well, using some of manga L’s unique mannerisms in his performance whenever he could, in addition to giving L his own edge. He did well with that and played the angry, emotional and aggressive moments the movie needed very well. Those OOC moments didn’t always work but he played the part pretty well despite that.

*** He actually seemed to understood the version of L from the manga, using some of L’s unique mannerisms for his performance whenever he could. While also playing the angry, emotional and aggressive moments the movie needed. Even though they didn’t always work for the character or movie. If he was given more screen time (and creative freedom), his version of L could of worked. With his performance being a standout.

*** He actually seemed to understood the version of L from the manga, using some of L’s unique mannerisms for his performance whenever he could. While also playing the angry, emotional and aggressive moments the movie needed. Despite these moments not always working for the movie or character. If given more screen time (and freedom)his version of L would of succeeded and of been a standout performance.