Shortly after its premiere, “Snow White” proudly topped the IMDb rating… from the bottom. At the time of this article, its score is 1.5 out of 10, making it one of the lowest-rated films in history. But what is behind such negativity? Is it purely low quality, or something else? This article explains why the new “Snow White” is universally disliked.
Let`s start with the obvious issue. From the moment it was announced that Rachel Zegler would play Snow White, the filmmakers were criticized for this casting decision.
Snow White is a character from a fairy tale by the German philologists Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, first published in 1812. And although the heroine`s nationality is not mentioned anywhere in the text, it is logical to assume a girl of Northern European appearance was implied. However, this is only part of the problem. In the fairy tale and in the cartoon based on it, it is clearly stated that the princess should have skin “white as snow.” In fact, this is even reflected in her name.
Zegler, being half Colombian and half Polish, does not meet this requirement. Some found it strange and inappropriate that Snow White is played by a dark-skinned actress. But the filmmakers were not taken aback and changed the canon. Now her name means something else.
To avoid making a million points about the same thing, let`s note that for roughly the same reasons, some viewers are unhappy with the extras and minor characters. A significant portion of the latter are played by black actors.
The topic of the dwarfs is a bit more complex than skin color.
The first mini-scandal erupted back in early 2022, when Peter Dinklage, known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in “Game of Thrones,” harshly criticized the film in a less than censored manner. He accused Disney of selective progressiveness. Allegedly, they boast about a Latina woman in the role of Snow White, but are still going to make a film where “seven dwarfs live together in a cave.” He disliked the idea that little people only play dwarfs, and the whole story in general.
It is noteworthy that at that time nothing was yet known about the casting of the dwarfs and how they would be depicted. Closer to the release, the criticism became more specific. It turned out that instead of seven dwarfs, there would be seven people of different genders and races, among whom only one little person. Both the left and the right were ready to tear Disney apart for this decision: on the one hand, for going too far with inclusivity, on the other, for the lack of little people. Therefore, the dwarfs were ultimately drawn on a computer, and the previous actors were reclassified as bandits. But even this did not stop the wave of hate.
Some were unhappy that this approach also deprives actors with dwarfism of work. Others were surprised that, despite the racial diversity of all other inhabitants of the kingdom, all the dwarfs remained white. Still others were outraged that white dwarfs are voiced by non-white actors. And in general, the drawn dwarfs turned out to be straight out of the uncanny valley.
The conflict in the Middle East is one of the most acute political topics of our time. Some actors, such as Melissa Barrera from “Scream,” lost roles simply for высказывания in social networks about this topic (expressions in social networks about this topic).
Given that Disney has always been quick to deal with overly politically active actors (recall at least the dismissal of Gina Carano from “The Mandalorian”), the situation with the “Snow White” cast seems very strange. The studio not only did nothing, but also allowed the actresses to freely express their positions.
At the same time, the leading stars of the film turned out to be supporters of opposite camps. Israeli and former military servicewoman Gal Gadot, of course, openly supports her homeland and its armed forces. Pro-Palestinian activists have repeatedly called for a boycott of “Snow White” because of Gadot`s participation in it.
On the other hand, Rachel Zegler criticizes Israel, demanding freedom for Palestine. Accordingly, her cancellation is already demanded by the pro-Israel movement. In addition, the Israeli consul in New York publicly condemned Zegler for her views.
It is also noteworthy that Zegler used the “Snow White” platform to express her position. After the trailer premiere, she thanked viewers on social networks and immediately called for the liberation of Palestine there. After that, the film`s producer, Marc Platt, flew to New York to personally explain to the actress the inadmissibility of such behavior.
Rachel Zegler started more than one fire on social media. Moreover, the second one turned out to be even worse for Disney than the first. The topic of Israel and Palestine is very sensitive, but it is at least somewhere overseas and does not directly concern most Americans — the main audience of the film. The presidential election is another matter.
In the fall of 2024, after Donald Trump`s victory, the actress published several very emotional appeals. In them, she insulted the elected president with profanity, as well as all those who voted for him or supported him in other ways. She wished that they “never know peace.”
Soon Zegler apologized for her behavior, but it is unlikely that insulting a significant (and perhaps even overwhelming) part of the country`s population can be so easily forgiven. A country that is the largest market for Hollywood films and accounts for at least half of the box office. Therefore, after this outburst, Disney assigned a “social media guru” to the actress, who was supposed to control Zegler`s publications.
Honestly, I have nothing against Rachel Zegler. I am not personally acquainted with her, she may well be a wonderful person. But I can only describe her behavior by paraphrasing my favorite slasher: “The girl got out on social networks and is committing suicide on digital air.”
Zegler was unlucky to be the first to talk about the changes in the film. It is thanks to her that we learned that Snow White will become a more active character, not a stereotypical damsel in distress, and that the love line will recede into the background, giving way to a story about becoming a leader. She did not write the script and did not make production decisions, but she acted as a messenger, and for this she was attacked by conservatives.
Well, okay, viewers would have found out about the changes in the film anyway one day. But what should not have been said for sure is that the original cartoon is outdated. Although this is pure truth (after all, it was released in 1937), but saying this about one of the most beloved and important films in history is simply stupid. It was also not necessary to even jokingly call the prince a stalker. This is a fairy tale after all. If you start critically evaluating fairy tales, your head will break.
Changes in the remake were inevitable. As was dissatisfaction with them.
Watching a film in 2025 about a girl who only cooks, cleans, and waits for a savior would be very boring. But the unpleasant truth is that this is almost all that Snow White did in the original. In the new version, the princess was obliged to start doing something besides housework.
Unfortunately for the producers, not everyone shares this opinion. For more conservative segments of our society, the purpose and happiness of a woman lies precisely in housework. In changing the image of Snow White, they saw a threat to the traditional structure of the family and the role of women in it.
Here you can also mention other changes. Fans (and not only those who still live according to “Domostroy”) are very zealous about the originals and perceive any edits with hostility. A simpleton speaks? Heresy. Replaced the prince with a bandit? Burn it. Personally, I do not belong to their number, and feminism does not particularly scare me, but even I was offended that the song “Some Day My Prince Will Come” was cut from the remake.
Disney remakes are pure exploitation of original cartoons. None of them were created with the aim of looking at a familiar story from a new angle, because it is too risky and requires a creative approach. These films are shot only so that nostalgia-intoxicated viewers will open their wallets wider.
Therefore, all these films look and feel the same: an expensive picture with a bunch of graphics, a couple or three detailedly copied props, some star in the background, and a not very remarkable young actor in the lead role. But the main thing is that each of them tries to cut out something outdated and cram in something pseudo-progressive. But since the creators don`t care about the film, everything is cut and crammed in according to a checklist found somewhere in the depths of Twitter.
Yes, that`s right. Even if you are lucky enough to live without social networks. Even if you are the most devoted fan of Kamala Harris, the main feminist and subconsciously do not distinguish nationalities, you still probably will not like this film. It is bad on a dozen different levels. More details on why “Snow White” deserves a rating of 1.5/10 can be found in our review.
Finley Holt