Chris Pine Reacts After His New Movie Gets Terrible Reviews

Chris Pine opens up about how he was received as a director on his debut film. Pine, 43, spoke with host Josh Horowitz on Thursday, May 9, episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast about his upcoming movie, Poolman (in theaters on May 10), for which he co-wrote, starred in, and directed.

In September of 2023, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and received a number of negative reviews as a result, “I was like, ‘Maybe I did make a pile of s—,’” the actor and filmmaker admitted.  However, he continued, “I went back and watched it. I f—ing love this film. I love this film so much.”

Poolman is centered on “a native Los Angeleseno who spends his days looking after the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block and fighting to make his hometown a better place to live,” according to its official synopsis. When Pine talked about his first experience behind the camera for a feature film with People, he described it in April as “a flow state for months. There wasn’t time to think or get in my head.” 

Working on the comedy-mystery with Annette Bening, DeWanda Wise, Ariana DeBose, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Danny DeVito and others “was so joyful and the most creative I’ve ever gotten to be on set.” It was Pine’s experience that the entire process of making the film and receiving feedback had taught him “how resilient I am.”

“It’s ultimately been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s forced me to double down on joy and really double down on what I love most about my job — which you kind of forget, it’s fundamentally about play.”

Moreover, Pine talked with his therapist about the film’s reception. “In everything that feels like a setback, yes there is the hurt of the cut, but as the scar tissue forms and the healing process happens you do benefit from a growth in resilience.”

Additionally, he was of the opinion that while actors can often “hide behind” many aspects of a film when confronted with criticism, this is not true for directors and writers. “The closest thing I would imagine that this is like — co-writing, directing, and starring in — is a stand-up comedian on stage feeling utterly naked,” he told Horowitz. Poolman is out May 10 from Vertical Entertainment.