Netflix's Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh says film reviews matter but are no longer a measure of a film's success | Interview

Film reviews once carried significant weight at the box office. A poor critical response could damage a film’s opening weekend, while strong reviews could help generate interest in a title that was struggling to find an audience.

That relationship has changed with the rise of streaming. Because streaming films are not dependent on box-office performance, reviews no longer occupy the same position in determining how a film performs. Netflix’s Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh says critics still have an important role, but their opinions are only one part of a wider audience conversation.

Reviews remain part of the discussion

Sheikh cautions against treating reviews as irrelevant. In her view, they continue to shape the conversation surrounding a film and can contribute to how audiences understand it.

However, she rejects the idea that reviews can determine a title’s potential. Audience perception, she says, is now built on more than the response from professional critics. That marks a shift from the earlier model in which reviews, combined with audience interest and word of mouth, were closely tied to box-office prospects.

What the streaming model changes

The distinction is especially relevant for streaming films. Without a traditional theatrical run to measure through opening-weekend revenue, success cannot be assessed through the same framework used for cinema releases.

Sheikh’s comments point to a broader change in how films are discussed and evaluated. Reviews still matter as cultural and critical input, but they should not be viewed as a definitive forecast of a film’s eventual performance.