COMMODORE MEDIA GROUP

The movie Hillbilly Elegy has recently been released on Netflix. It is a true story based on the 2016 memoir by J.D. Vance. In the story, Vance lives in Ohio with his impoverished family from the Appalachians. Although it was in the top ten in the U.S. on Netflix the week it came out, the movie has brought up a lot of controversy. An article on Cincinnati.com says that the movie “…ventures out into a story depicting Appalachians in stereotypical roles.”

Although the story is written by someone who experienced life in the Appalachians first hand, there are many negative reviews about the movie. According to The Atlantic, the movie is not a true story of the region and only focuses on the “poverty and moral failing of individuals…” They even call it “…one of the worst movies of the year.” 

With so many negative reviews, it leaves one to wonder whether Hillbilly Elegy is worth the watch or not. After reading what some people had to say about the movie, it made me wonder how so many people who have never experienced poverty had so much to say. It is hard to find a positive review at all. Coming from someone who has watched the movie, I disagree with the reviews. In my opinion, the people who wrote some of these negative reviews were looking for something to be mad about. I think that Vance’s memoir is a good, true story about his childhood struggles and it was harshly judged. 

After the release of the movie Hillbilly Elegy, there has been a lot of controversy. Some say it is one of the worst movies of the year, and others disagree. It is up to the viewer to decide whether or not they agree.