How a box office flop became a cult classic
A story, quote, and lesson about staying true to your vision
Not everyone’s going to get it.
That doesn’t mean it’s not good. It may just mean it’s ahead of its time.
When Starship Troopers hit theaters in 1997, most critics didn’t see satire, they saw a problem. The Washington Post ran an editorial claiming the movie was made by people with fascist sympathies. Others, like Empire and The Los Angeles Times, pointed to the blond-haired cast, obsession with weapons, and military imagery as signs the film was endorsing the very ideas it was supposedly mocking.
What most people missed, almost entirely, was that this was the point.
Director Paul Verhoeven (of RoboCop fame) had crafted a smart, biting satire of militarism, propaganda, and blind patriotism. The film mimicked the aesthetics of fascist regimes to critique them, not glorify them. But the joke flew over people’s heads. Its exaggerated jingoism and charming soldiers were too convincing.
The world wasn’t ready.
Years passed. The world changed. And slowly, a new generation of fans rewatched Starship Troopers, and finally saw it for what it was: razor-sharp social commentary disguised as commercial spectacle.
In a post-9/11 world filled with military recruitment ads, endless wars, and curated media narratives, the film’s message rang truer than ever. Articles emerged praising its satire. Professors taught it in film and political science courses. Today, it’s recognized as one of the most misunderstood films of its era: a brilliant critique wrapped in the aesthetics it mocked.
But here’s the thing: The film didn’t change. People did.
“Someone asked me once if I knew the difference between a civilian and a citizen. I know now. A citizen has the courage to make the safety of the human race their personal responsibility.”
- Johnny Rico, protagonist of Starship Troopers
It’s easy to feel discouraged when your work is met with confusion or disapproval, especially when you know there’s more beneath the surface. But just like Verhoeven and his team, the value of what you make doesn’t always lie in its initial reception. Sometimes it takes years for people to catch up to your wavelength.
The truth is, many of the doors you walk through in life won’t be met with applause. People might question your decisions, laugh at your efforts, or dismiss your ideas. That’s okay. Your job isn’t to make everyone nod. It’s to stay true to the reason you started in the first place.
The world wasn’t ready for Starship Troopers in 1997. But the film was made anyway.
So now I ask you:
What bold ideas or efforts in your life are worth pursuing, even if they aren’t appreciated yet?