History YMMV / MalcolmAndMarie

** In both an in-universe and meta sense, a portion of the film is dedicated to Malcolm mouthing off about a white female critic from the ''LA Times'' -- which became worrisome for many viewers [[RealitySubtext considering that]] Katie Walsh, a white female critic, gave a scathing review to Levinson's previous film ''Film/AssassinationNation'' for the ''LA Times''. This led to the sequence being widely interpreted as Levinson using the movie to bitterly attack Walsh from a perceived [[CantTakeCriticism inability to take criticism]], [[https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-02-10/malcolm-and-marie-sam-levinson-responds-to-critics although he has reportedly denied this being the case]].

** In both an in-universe and meta sense, a portion of the film is dedicated to Malcolm mouthing off about a white female critic from the ''LA Times'' -- which became worrisome for many viewers [[RealitySubtext considering that]] Katie Walsh, a white female critic from the ''LA Times'', gave a scathing review to Levinson's previous film ''Film/AssassinationNation''. This led to the sequence being widely interpreted as Levinson using the movie to bitterly attack Walsh from a perceived [[CantTakeCriticism inability to take criticism]], [[https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-02-10/malcolm-and-marie-sam-levinson-responds-to-critics although he has reportedly denied this being the case]].

** In both an in-universe and meta sense, a portion of the film is dedicated to Malcolm mouthing off about a white female critic from the ''LA Times'' -- which became worrisome for many viewers [[RealitySubtext considering that]] Katie Walsh, a white female critic from the ''LA Times'', gave a scathing review to Levinson's previous film ''Film/AssassinationNation''. This led to the sequence being widely interpreted as Levinson using the movie to bitterly attack Walsh from a perceived [[CantTakeCriticism inability to take criticism]], [[https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-02-10/malcolm-and-marie-sam-levinson-responds-to-critics although he has reportedly denied this being the case]].
* WTHCastingAgency: {{Music/Zendaya}}'s casting was criticized, with some viewers saying she was too young to play a WomanScorned, as she would just wind up looking and sounding like a pouting teenager. This is especially pronounced given she's playing off someone who's a lot older than her and very much looks it. It's worth noting, though, that the role was written to be around her age, so it's not that she's too young to play this character so much as this archetype perhaps doesn't transfer well to such a young performer, with the fault lying at least as much in the script as it is with casting. With all this being said, Zendaya's performance was mostly well-received.

** In both an in-universe and meta sense, a portion of the film is dedicated to Malcolm mouthing off about a white female critic from the ''LA Times'' -- which became worrisome for many viewers [[RealitySubtext considering that]] Katie Walsh, a white female critic from the ''LA Times'', gave a scathing review to Levinson's previous film ''Film/AssassinationNation''. This led to the sequence being widely interpreted as Levinson using the movie to bitterly attack the critic from a perceived [[CantTakeCriticism inability to take criticism]], [[https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-02-10/malcolm-and-marie-sam-levinson-responds-to-critics although he has reportedly denied this being the case]].

* {{Wangst}}: When a movie is pretty much just two characters arguing with each other for close to two hours, both of them wind up running into this trope.
* WTHCastingAgency: {{Music/Zendaya}}'s casting has been criticized with several viewers saying she's too young to play a WomanScorned, as she just winds up looking and sounding like a pouting teenager. This is especially pronounced given she's playing off someone who's a lot older than her and very much looks it. It's worth noting though that the role was written to be around Zendaya's age, so it's not that she's too young to play this character so much as this archetype just doesn't transfer well to such a young performer, with the fault lying at least as much in the script as it is with casting. With all this being said, Zendaya's performance was mostly well received.

* EightDeadlyWords: Both Malcolm and Marie are commonly agreed to come across as [[{{Wangst}} annoying]] and [[{{Jerkass}} unlikable]]. And since [[MinimalistCast this film only consists of these two]] playing off of each other, a lot of viewers found it difficult to care about what happens.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Many viewers have noted that the two characters are so thoroughly unpleasant to each other for the entire film that it's difficult to like or care about them and their issues.

* ScapegoatCreator: Many critics and even regular viewers have been particularly harsh on writer and director Sam Levinson, specifically because of his many TakeThat [[AuthorTract Author Tracts]] throughout the picture leveled at film criticism. Levinson also received scathing remarks for trying to use black characters as his own mouthpiece to deflect said criticism. If you're in the camp that this was his idea, then it certainly backfired.

* WTHCastingAgency: {{Music/Zendaya}}'s casting has been criticized with several viewers saying she's too young to play a WomanScorned, as she just winds up looking and sounding like a pouting teenager. This is especially pronounced given she's playing off someone whose a lot older than her and very much looks it. It's worth noting though that the role was written to be around Zendaya's age, so it's not that she's too young to play this character so much as this archetype just doesn't transfer well to such a young performer, with the fault lying at least as much in the script as it is with casting. With all this being said, Zendaya's performance was mostly well received.

* WTHCastingAgency: {{Music/Zendaya}}'s casting has been criticized with several viewers saying she's too young to play a WomanScorned, as she just winds up looking and sounding like a pouting teenager, despite being of similar age to Marie when the film came out. This is largely due to her still playing teenagers in the same year that the film was released. That being said, her performance as a whole was widely praised.

* WTHCastingAgency: {{Music/Zendaya}}'s casting has been criticized with several viewers saying she's too young to play a WomanScorned, as she just winds up looking and sounding like a pouting teenager, despite being of similar age to Marie when the film came out.

* EightDeadlyWords: Both Malcolm and Marie are commonly agreed to come across as [[{{Wangst}} annoying]] and [[{{Jerkass}} unlikable]]. And since [[MinamalisticCast this film only consists of these two]] playing off of each other, a lot of viewers found it difficult to care about what happens.

* EightDeadlyWords: Both Malcolm and Marie are commonly agreed to come across as [[{{Wangst}} annoying]] and [[{{Jerkass}} unlikable]]. And since [[MinamalistCast this film only consists of these two]] playing off of each other, a lot of viewers found it difficult to care about what happens.

* ScapegoatCreator: Many critics and even regular viewers have been particularly harsh on writer and director Sam Levinson, specifically because of his many TakeThat [[AuthorTract Author Tracts]] throughout the picture leveled at film criticism. Levinson also received scathing remarks for trying to use black characters as his own mouthpiece to deflect criticism. If you're in the camp that this was his idea, then it certainly backfired.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Many viewers have noted that the two characters are so thoroughly unpleasant two each other for the entire film that it's difficult to like or care about them and their issues.

* WTHCastingAgency: {{Music/Zendaya}}'s casting has been criticized with several viewers saying she's too young to play a WomanScorned, as she just winds up looking and sounding like a pouting teenager.

* WTHCastingAgency: {{Music/Zendaya}}'s casting has been criticized, as while the role was written for a young actress, several viewers still think she's too young to play a WomanScorned, as she just winds up looking and sounding like a pouting teenager.

* WTHCastingAgency: {{Music/Zendaya}}'s casting has been criticized, as while the role was written for a young actress, several viewers have said she winds up looking and sounding more like a pouting teenager than a WomanScorned.