Ryan Gosling made his directorial debut Tuesday with "Lost River" at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Described as "a modern day fairytale [set] against the surreal dreamscape of a vanishing city," the heartthrob failed to impress fellow critics and insinuated backlash.
Keep reading to find out what they had to say!
"Lost River" is about a single mother who gets swept into a dark underworld, and her teenage son finds a road that leads to an underwater town. Gosling both directed and wrote the film, starring Eva Mendes, Christina Hendricks and Saoirse Ronan.
"If a $200 haircut and $900 shades were given lots of money to defecate on Detroit, the result would be Ryan Gosling's directing debut," Grantland's Wesley Morris said.
Alex Billington echoed these claims, tweeting, "Lost River - Fairy tail-esque mind fuck unlike anything else. Another death of the American dream metaphor, like an unshakable nightmare."
"The Notebook" actor penned in his blog what inspired him to write the film.
"I wanted to make this film because it's a movie that I would want to see. Like many children who grew up in the 1980s, I first approached the cinema through mainstream films. I was excited to shoot this kind of story, but with the language of filmmaker that I've acquired through the years."
"Lost River" includes influences from David Lynch and Nicolas Winding Refn.
One person who did praise Gosling's work was IndieWire's Anne Thompson.
"Impressive impressionistic well-wrought debut for #RyanGosling with Lost River. Very@DAVID_LYNCH!" she wrote.
Gosling is currently dating Mendes, who stars in the film. In the past he has been linked to "The Notebook" co-star Rachel McAdams and actress Blake Lively.
Do you think the critics were too harsh on him? Watch the trailer and let us know what you think below!