In Mike D’Angelo’s listing of all the movies released in New York City, he color codes the movies that he has seen (blue), wants to see (green) and walked out of (red). He helpfully notes that he always walks out at the 1/3 mark, and he doesn’t review those movies professionally.

Last night, I walked out of Woody Allen’s Wonder Wheel. I got a free ticket (nobody paid for it either), went alone, and walked out of the thing 38 minutes in. It was a mess. Actually, it was more than a mess; it was a travesty. Awful acting, terrible middle-school-level dialogue, egregious accents, and a plodding plot with no humor, wit or intrigue. It was so pathetic I could barely laugh at it (though, I did giggle at the scene where an overacting Kate Winslet tells an underacting Justin Timberlake about her dreams to be an actress) nevertheless sit through it.

Some people feel that’s unfair. If I were to write a full fledged review of Wonder Wheel, which I intended on doing, I would agree that walking out is unfair. But, because I walked out, I won’t write a review for that, just like I won’t write a review for the boringly and bizarrely formulaic Patti Cake$ or any of the other movies I’ve walked out of this year. But, I also don’t feel bad about walking out of a bad movie and I don’t feel bad telling others that I walked out of them either. I’ve even walked out of critical darlings like Jane Campion’s Bright Star.

Here’s my philosophy: I owe a movie an open mind, but I do not owe a movie my time. If I choose to start a movie, I am perfectly open to liking or loving that film. Some films will surprise me in a good way; I was lukewarm about seeing It, but that was one of the better movies this year (even if it sidestepped the novel’s race issues and had a crap ending). In turn, the movie has to interest, entertain, or educate me. If I don’t think a movie has anything to offer me, I don’t believe it has earned my time. I tend to think I have a low bar for movies to cross – I sat through Suburbicon and La La Land for Christ’s sake – but, everybody’s bar is different.

Do you walk out of movies? What is your criterion for walking out? Do you walk out if you’re offended? Bored? Frustrated? Uninterested? Nauseated? Do you walk out of shaky cam or handheld movies (like Victoria)? Do you walk out of big budget blockbusters or small indie films? What are your tendencies?

And, if you must see one movie where Justin Timberlake sits on a perch above a beach, make sure you watch Southland Tales.