The new biographical movie, Sight, has debuted with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes audience score. Directed by Andrew Hyatt, the movie follows the true story of Ming Wang (Terry Chen), an impoverished Chinese prodigy who becomes a world-renowned eye surgeon after studying in America. A blind orphan arrives at his practice one day, hoping for her sight to be restored after being abused by her step-mother. Dr. Wang must confront his troubled past growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution to find the resilience to keep going, finding a revolutionary new treatment to help her regain her sight.

Debuting in theaters May 24th, Sight received a near-perfect audience score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes during its opening weekend, based on over 100 verified reviews. This comes in contrast to how the movie is being received by critics, with that approval score sitting at a moderate 63% based on 27 reviews. Although Sight has received mixed reviews from critics, it’s clear that audiences are loving it.

Sight: Critics vs. Audience Reviews

It seems that Sight has critics and audiences divided. While critics can agree that Sight is based on an inspiring true story, many claim the film opts for surface-level storytelling, failing to dig deeper and provide viewers with more compelling, multidimensional characters that capture the story’s real-life significance. Many critics argue that Sight feels predictable and boring, failing to enact drama that would add a more cinematic edge to the film. Instead, they say, it feels more like a documentary.

However, it appears that viewers couldn’t agree less as the average audience score on Rotten Tomatoes for Sight is 5/5. Viewers are celebrating the film, applauding it for showcasing perseverance and success against adversity. With flashbacks interwoven throughout the film that show Dr. Wang’s experiences growing up in China, and how they shape his outlook as a doctor, Sight strikes a cord emotionally with audiences. While critics point to the film lacking drama to add to its narrative, it seems viewers feel the film perfectly captures the triumph of the human spirit, and see no issue with the storytelling.

Despite the lackluster reviews, Sight tells an important true story of a revolutionary eye procedure that has restored vision to thousands. Using a procedure that uses the human placenta to heal retinal scar tissue, Dr. Wang’s story is a truly remarkable one. While Sight is leaving critics with more to be desired, it seems to be a hit with viewers. It also wouldn’t be the first time an Angel Studios production has seen a much better response from audiences than critics, with Sound of Freedom becoming a viral hit this past year.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes