The Interview: Not Exactly The Right Movie to Trigger a Political Re-Awakening in the Realm of Free Speech

The Interview has had no shortage of publicity/controversy since the time the trailer was released and, subsequently, North Korea hacked into Sony’s deepest, darkest secrets in retaliation (though some have doubts about this fact). To add to its unusual cachet, President Obama even got involved, belittling the likes of Seth Rogen and James Franco for backing down against terrorist threats (which, one would assume, definitely has to make a person feel like a bitch).

And while The Interview has opened an important discussion about freedom of speech at the international level, it is also a movie of a somewhat low caliber to do so. After all, this is the same duo that’s been in movies like Pineapple Express and Your Highness, which somewhat detracts from the legitimacy of the “important political statement” of The Interview.

When considering more poignant political films like The Conformist, In The Loop, The Ghost Writer or Syriana, the lackluster satirical nature of The Interview overtly pales in comparison. And yet, this is the movie that has actually gotten the common man to be unwittingly involved in politics–opening their eyes to the notion that shitty films are not an inherent American right as previously thought.