Movie reviewing ethics during COVID

[Mike]

New Mutants refused to send out links or screeners that would allow reviewers to watch it at home. Therefore some reviewers have made a big deal about refusing to review it at all until they are given a safe way to do so.

So if the studio HAD given them screeners, then they would have been fine with writing a review for an audience that can ONLY go see it in the theater?

I'm not perfect, so I try to refrain from being overly judgmental, but at least one outlet I read seemed pretty high and mighty in their outrage at not being given a safe reviewing option, and yet are perfectly fine with encouraging others to go to the theater. It just feels weird.

[poorpete]

[Stan]

As it's been sitting for years, there's also the chance that this movie is just crap and they're trying to avoid advanced reviews taht will be negative.

[Phoebe]

Eh, maybe stirring publicity just to get any attention on it? I'm not sure what to think of the broader and more interesting ethical questions about how reviewers should handle this. My judgment is being overshadowed by cynicism about the human world at the moment; things are a degenerate mess re: covid where I live because toxic political ideology grips too many people and, well, they are jerks.