In 2022, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released a climate change documentary that woefully underperformed at the box office. Reports indicated that the film only generated around 80 dollars per movie theater it was shown in.
The documentary titled “To the End,” produced by Rachel Lears, was filmed over the course of four years, following three left-leaning activists, including AOC, in their mission to pass legislation addressing the issue of climate change.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film only grossed $9,700 at the box office but received a rating of 85%. However, the website did not publish an audience rating. Taking a glance at some of the audience reviews, it appears the climate change documentary did not resonate with ordinary people.
Many of the audience reviews were either a half-star or one-star, accompanied by a scathing critique of the film. “Half a star for this is rough. Giving these nut jobs a platform is embarrassing. I am all for saving the planet this movie hurts more than it helps. Critics that enjoyed this are insane or just part of the cult,” one person said.
Another reviewer called out AOC, stating, “I would recommend that if AOC cares so much about the environment to consider flying coach, taking public transport, consider a garden and composting, stop using plastic, don’t travel needlessly we have tech you can do zoom calls instead of flying to and from meetings, move out the city as city living is considerably worse for the environment, and lastly work on the emissions in NY which is the area that you represent. Once the city is less smoggy maybe then you can talk to the rest of the states about your ideas on the environment. As for the average american considering watching this film. Don’t. Maiming yourself would be less painful.”
Another individual, claiming to have experience in environmental engineering, suggested the film was to win people over to the Green New Deal. “As an Environmental Engineer I can only say this was a horrendous failure. Was this made to win people’s hearts to the New Green Deal? Because it certainly seems to have been made to turn off it’s target audience. I appreciate anyone’s efforts to bring the human impact on our environment to the forefront- but this? Horrendous Fail,” he said.
According to the synopsis of “To the End”: “Filmed over four years of hope and crisis, To the End captures the emergence of a new generation of leaders and the movement behind the most sweeping climate change legislation in U.S. history. The award-winning team behind Knock Down the House follows four exceptional young women— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, activist Varshini Prakash, climate policy writer Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and political strategist Alexandra Rojas— as they grapple with new challenges of leadership and power and work together to defend their generation’s right to a future. From street protests to the halls of Congress, these bold leaders fight to shift the narrative around climate, revealing the crisis as an opportunity to build a better society. Including up-to-the-minute footage that culminates in 2022’s landmark climate bill, To the End lifts the veil on the battle for the future of our world, and gives audiences a front seat view of history in the making.”
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