Julianne Moore has drawn criticism from some action-film fans after explaining why she’s reluctant to take on projects that, in her view, celebrate empty violence.
The 65-year-old Still Alice actor spoke to Variety during the Kering Women in Motion Talk at the Cannes Film Festival, where she said she’s increasingly looking for stories with more substance and emotional weight.
With decades of acclaimed work — including an Oscar and two Golden Globes — Moore said she now feels less compelled by certain bleak narratives, noting that she has become “less and less interested in tragedy”.
She also described how many scripts and films fall back on what she called familiar, “easy stakes,” suggesting that some heightened drama doesn’t reflect the gravity of real-world events or the emotional intensity people are living through.
Moore said: “Particularly now at a time when things are really rough globally, it’s very difficult for me to invest in a story that I think is pretend, where I feel like the depth of the emotion, the measure of it, doesn’t measure up to what’s happening in the world.
“And I don’t feel like I want to engage in it.”
She went on to argue that many projects lean on violence and spectacle rather than character or feeling. “I don’t like someone being murdered. I don’t like explosions and guns. I don’t like histrionics. I don’t like things that raise the stakes without real feeling underneath,” she said.
That stance struck some as surprising, given Moore has appeared in several high-intensity films, including 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle and both parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.
Moore added: “I mean, that actually bothers me because that’s like noise. I don’t know how to play it. I don’t want to watch it.”
Her comments echo a wider conversation among filmmakers about blockbuster storytelling — including Martin Scorsese’s past critique of Marvel films as “theme parks” — but when a clip of Moore’s remarks circulated on X, it triggered a sharp backlash in some corners.
“I’ve lost count how many movies she’s done with guns,” PageSix reports one fan writing, with another saying: “Funny how artists forget their own catalog until it’s time to virtue signal.”
Similar reactions followed, with some questioning how her filmography — which includes violent and graphic material alongside more intimate dramas — fits with her current view.
“That’s great! Now playback all the degenerate, violent entertainment Julianne has happily participated in throughout her career,” one movie fan pointed out.
Still, others supported her frustration with constant on-screen killings and explosions, arguing that mainstream releases have become overly reliant on spectacle.
But a few people who find themselves bored with all of Hollywood’s death and fireballs said that they agreed with Moore, with on sharing: “I actually agree with her! We already have enough violence in the world! We need good family values in movies back!!
“Good family fun!! And the movie theaters will be full again! We want to go to the theaters but there’s not enough quality movies going out! That’s why The Devil Wears Prada was great.”