Wokeism is a term that is aimed at the “promotion of liberal progressive ideology and policy as an expression of sensitivity to systemic injustices and prejudices”- according to dictionary.com.

In recent times, the movie industry is using this as a means to have meaningful and sensitive discussions in the form of their art -movies. A lot of which has been met with open arms by audiences globally.

Some attempts have failed woefully, and ended up triggering the negative responses from audiences and in several cases has affected the box office performance of the movies.

Here are 5 'woke' movies that tried to please audiences, but back fired

1. Lightyear (2022)

Disney's lightyear which was a movie aimed at throwing light on the very acclaimed character and household toy name Buzz lightyear was met with very heavy criticism mainly for its same-sex kissing scene and inclusivity elements, which a lot of critics tagged irrelevant to the storyline and heavily political.

2. The little mermaid (2023)

The Little Mermaid, one of 2023’s most anticipated movies, was faced with backlash as some audiences were unhappy with Disney's casting choice. While Ariel's performance wasn't much under fire, some faulted Disney for trying too hard to include wokeism to the live-action adaptation of an audience favourite cartoon.

3. Elemental (2023)

In Disney's Elemental, Disney wasn't too subtle as its attempt to showcase societal differences was seen as overwhelmingly filled with prejudice and politics for a family movie. Though it struggled at first, it subsequently gained traction with audiences.

4. Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken (2023)

This time a DreamWorks film struggled seriously in the box office compared to other productions from the movie giant. The criticism around this movie isn't too far from the others listed, this time feminism and LGBTQ+ themes dominated this animated film.

5. The Marvels (2023).

Marvel stirred audiences again in this superhero movie centered on 3 female superheroes. Two of the women are women of color. While there wasn't much to be upset about as it was regarded as a good movie, some audiences claim that it felt forced, thus impacting the movie experience.

This list shows that though most audiences may be accommodating of wokeism in movies, they would turn sour when the same themes are found in movies which are tagged ‘family movies’ or ‘children movies’.

What's your opinion on woke family and children's movies? Let's have your opinions in the comments section.