Critics Club turns critical lens on world of cinema through student leadership
From blockbuster films to horror movie showings, the Critics club continues to grow by inviting students to explore cinematic interpretations during W-Hour in room C16.
Senior member Sully Boening appreciates the goals of the club, which go beyond just simply watching media.
“We critique movies, and talk about them in a critical way,” he said. “We make sure the movies have significance, and we don't always select movies that we know everything about.”
The first event the Critics hosted this year was on October 29 in the Little Theatre, watching I Saw the TV Glow, a PG-13 horror fantasy movie released in 2024. The movie focuses on two teenagers, Owen and Maddy, who develop a shared bond over their love for a television show called the Pink Opaque. Strange events start to occur, causing reality and identity to begin to obscure.
Sophomore club member Oliver VanThiel had some concern that controversial themes explored in the movie might have turned some students away from joining the Critics Club in the future.
“We had to get a permission slip for people to sign because of the movie’s LGBTQ+ theme, and I think that might be a part that could stop people from wanting to watch and critique with us,” they said.
Advisor Gregory Oswald is looking to the future. He already has plans to host another movie night in C16 during another W-hour.
“If we think that this was successful, we should have another one in November, possibly December,” he said.
The club was originally started by former student Brady Engel. It started off as a simple get together club but grew into having formal leadership roles to maintain order.
“For a while Brady was the guy who made the decisions,” Oswald said. “Since then, we’ve grown and have more people; we’ve become much more student-led.”
Naming the club was a unique adventure to Oswald.
“Our name is a bit of a two-edged sword. We could've been called the ‘Movie Club,’ but we also wanted to become more inclusive with opinions,” he said. “We decided on ‘The Critics’ so that people would actually think about the movies they were choosing.”
Throughout their club journey, Critics has had many struggles in their popularity and publicity. Senior Luci Nunez is one of the many members who finds this unfortunate.
“We seem to be overshadowed a lot by sports and theater and I wish we would get a little spotlight. Not a lot of people know about us,” she said. “I feel like if we got the sunshine that everybody else gets, that a lot more people would realize the potential we have.”
According to senior Syd Kuen, this is just one of the challenges that the club faces, as it is a struggle to schedule meetings to optimise the number of people who can attend.
“There have also been some challenges planning meetings around everyone else’s clubs,” they said.
Nunez added that the room they are currently in creates additional struggles.
“I would love to have a bigger space for all of us. I feel that the room is getting a little crowded now. I think that expanding to the Little Theater or somewhere else would be very beneficial,” she said.
In order to create more publicity, Critics has begun to advertise. As the club’s Social Media Manager, Nunez started to create posts on their social media pages about the first meeting that showcased I Saw The TV Glow. The first official post was a digital flyer, giving out information to students about the movie showing.
“We just created Instagram and TikTok accounts, and my job is to advertise anything that is happening within the Critics Club,” she said.
Nunez emphasizes the importance of the legacy of the club, understanding the importance of leaving the club, or any club, to the new generation to watch them transform it into something bigger.
“As a senior, it’s very important to leave something behind,” she said. “Seeing all the freshmen join Critics is amazing—it’s really neat to see it grow person by person.”
by Millie Kasubaski
Published November 3, 2025
Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue II