Julianne Moore has stirred up quite a debate online following her candid remarks about her cinematic preferences, expressing a distinct distaste for films filled with “explosions and guns.”
In a candid conversation with Variety during the Kering Women in Motion Talk at the Cannes Film Festival, the 65-year-old actress opened up about her evolving interests in the film industry. Moore, who has built an illustrious career in Hollywood, revealed that she finds herself increasingly disinterested in tragic storylines.
“In these challenging times globally, I find it hard to engage with narratives that feel artificial, where the emotional depth doesn’t align with the world’s current state,” Moore explained. “I don’t feel inclined to invest myself in such stories.”
She elaborated on her experience with scripts and films, noting her sensitivity to “when something is there for stakes.” She emphasized, “I don’t appreciate superficial stakes.”
Moore continued, “I’m not a fan of murder scenes. I shy away from explosions and guns. I dislike melodrama. I steer clear of narratives that heighten stakes without genuine emotion beneath them.” Her words have ignited discussions among film enthusiasts, reflecting the diverse tastes and expectations audiences have from cinema today.
“I mean, that actually bothers me because that’s like noise. I don’t know how to play it. I don’t want to watch it.”
After a clip of the interview was shared on X, many fans took issue with Moore’s statement in the comments section, with many pointing out she has starred in multiple movies with guns and violence.
“I’ve lost count how many movies she’s done with guns,” one fan wrote. Another added, “Funny how artists forget their own catalog until it’s time to virtue signal.”
Another fan shared, “That’s great! Now playback all the degenerate, violent entertainment Julianne has happily participated in throughout her career.”
A fourth fan wrote, referencing the sequel to “Silence of the Lambs,” which tells the story of serial killer Hannibal Lecter, writing, “A man had his skull removed in Hannibal, and brain eaten.”
While many took issue with her comments, others came to her defense, with one writing, “Julianne Moore choosing emotion over chaos is exactly why she’s respected worldwide.”
“I actually agree with her! We already have enough violence in the world! We need good family values in movies back!! Good family fun!! And the movie theaters will be full again! We want to go to the theaters but there’s not enough quality movies going out! That’s why The Devil Wears Prada was great,” another said.
This isn’t the first time Moore has faced backlash, as Vili Fualaau, who gained national attention for his illicit relationship and marriage with his sixth-grade teacher in the late 1990s, took issue with her film, “May December,” which told a similar story, calling the project a “ripoff” of his life.
Despite the backlash, Moore maintained when speaking to Entertainment Tonight in January 2024, that throughout filming the movie, director Todd Haynes was “always very clear when we were working on this movie that this was an original story … a story about these characters.”
“So that’s how we looked at it too,” Moore said. “This was our document. We created these characters from the page and together.”
Moore won an Academy Award in 2015 for her leading role in “Still Alice,” in which she played a woman dealing with her early onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis. She was previously nominated for her roles in “Boogie Nights,” “The End of the Affair,” “The Hours” and “Far From Heaven.”
The actress was at the Cannes Film Festival as the recipient of the Kering’s Women in Motion Award, an award which is presented to an actress who has helped advance the role of women in society and film.