Marvel Star Defends Critically Destroyed Film That Became Cult Classic
A major Hollywood actress reveals why she champions a movie that critics absolutely hated when it first hit theaters, but later transformed into an influential masterpiece that changed cinema forever.
Tessa Thompson has starred in some of Marvel's biggest blockbusters, earning critical praise and even a Golden Globe nomination for her 2026 drama Hedda. But she's also appeared in major flops like The Marvels and Thor: Love and Thunder. Men in Black: International bombed so badly that Will Smith is returning to salvage the franchise.
None of that bothers Thompson much. She told Collider that one of her favorite films ever was completely destroyed by critics when it debuted.
When Critics Get It Wrong
"It was universally panned [when it came out]," Thompson explained about Harold and Maude. "It took almost a decade before audiences got it, and now, the film has a cult following, and it's been influential for so many directors that we know and love."
Hal Ashby's 1971 dark comedy follows Harold, a death-obsessed young man played by Bud Cort, who meets Maude, a 79-year-old Holocaust survivor portrayed by Ruth Gordon. Despite their massive age gap, they develop a relationship that explores life's meaning through completely opposite perspectives.
From Disaster to Classic
Critics completely missed the point in 1971. Today, Harold and Maude is considered a masterpiece. Reviewers now praise its dark humor, character development, and surprisingly touching ending. The Library of Congress selected it for preservation in 1997.
Thompson's devotion runs deep. Her production company is called Viva Maude, named after Gordon's character. She sees Maude as the original "manic pixie dream girl" with a twist.
Breaking the Mold
"For my money, she's one of the first occurrences of this trope," Thompson said. "This woman who comes into a depressive man's life and turns it around with her zest for life and vivaciousness. But she herself disrupts the trope because she happens to be a woman in her late 80s who also has a death wish."
Cinema history is packed with slow burns. Movies we consider untouchable today often faced harsh criticism initially. Context shapes reception, and context changes over decades. Thompson might have dismissed Harold and Maude in 1971, but she can't get enough of it now.