---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can always tell when a filmmaker…"
description: "\"I can always tell when a filmmaker doesn't care about his or her characters; they just care about setting them up to kill them off.\" — Drew Goddard"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/drew-goddard-8422_about_i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn_3082649.jpg"
---

#  I can always tell when a filmmaker doesn't care about his…

![“I can always tell when a filmmaker doesn't care about his or her characters; they just care about setting them up to kill them off.” quote by Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/drew-goddard-8422_about_i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn_3082649.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/drew-goddard-8422_about_i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn_3082649.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/drew-goddard-8422_about_i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn_3082649.jpg)

> “I can always tell when a filmmaker doesn't care about his or her characters; they just care about setting them up to kill them off.”

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote criticizes creators who prioritize plot twists over character development, reducing characters to plot devices.

**In simple terms:** Good storytelling cares about characters, not just shocking events.

Key Takeaway

Focus on deep, relatable characters.

Themes

storytelling character ethics

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- film criticism
- scriptwriting
- creative workshops
- media analysis

Key Concepts

narrative integrity audience trust

Questions to Reflect On

- How does character depth affect your emotional investment?
- Can a story succeed without strong characters?

A Different Perspective

Audiences may still enjoy spectacle despite shallow characters.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/)

## Related quotes

> [When you're out there trying to still figure things out, it can just slow things down. So you have to kind of think on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-ball/when-you-re-out-there-trying-to-still-figure-things-out-it-can-just/)

[Wes Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-ball/)

> [I know how to make films and now I'm able to make films with the resources and the tools that match my imagination, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-duvernay/i-know-how-to-make-films-and-now-i-m-able-to-make-films-with-the/)

[Ava DuVernay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-duvernay/)

> [A filmmaker doesn't have to suffer to show suffering. You just have to understand it. You don't have to die to shoot a death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/a-filmmaker-doesn-t-have-to-suffer-to-show-suffering-you-just-have-to/)

[David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/)

> [One of the great things about the film being so unusual and provocative is the filmmaker to me doesn't seem to have a definite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-farrell/one-of-the-great-things-about-the-film-being-so-unusual-and/)

[Colin Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-farrell/)

> [Even though it took forever to release a movie, and even though it's a small indie release, the fact that in five years someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-bertino/even-though-it-took-forever-to-release-a-movie-and-even-though-it-s-a/)

[Bryan Bertino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-bertino/)

> [Kenny Lonergan, as a filmmaker, doesn't tell stories so much as he observes them, which is to say, his films don't come pre-digested. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-miller/kenny-lonergan-as-a-filmmaker-doesn-t-tell-stories-so-much-as-he/)

[Bennett Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-miller/)

> [If you're a great documentary filmmaker, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're a great narrative filmmaker. There are fantastic documentary filmmakers that can't direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-skarsgard/if-you-re-a-great-documentary-filmmaker-it-doesn-t-necessarily-mean/)

[Alexander Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-skarsgard/)

> [There's a really fine line between artistic license and artistic licentiousness. And history is a lousy filmmaker. It doesn't give you all the ingredients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-mccarten/there-s-a-really-fine-line-between-artistic-license-and-artistic/)

[Anthony McCarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-mccarten/)

> [Directing ain't about drawing a neat little picture and showing it to the cameraman. I didn't want to go to film school. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fincher/directing-ain-t-about-drawing-a-neat-little-picture-and-showing-it-to/)

[David Fincher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fincher/)

> [“Love doesn't care what you want. Love doesn't care if it's convenient. Love pursues its own agenda, and there's no bullet in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/love-doesn-t-care-what-you-want-love-doesn-t-care-if-it-s-convenient/)

[Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/)

> [It's hard for me to answer a question from someone who really doesn't care about the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-grodin/it-s-hard-for-me-to-answer-a-question-from-someone-who-really-doesn-t/)

[Charles Grodin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-grodin/)

> [Admit it, you care about someone who probably doesn't care about you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/admit-it-you-care-about-someone-who-probably-doesn-t-care-about-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“pissed at Phillip, but he doesn’t seem to care. He grins, then crooks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-dodd/pissed-at-phillip-but-he-doesn-t-seem-to-care-he-grins-then-crooks/)

[Jillian Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-dodd/)

> [Take it from me, Fate doesn't care most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-wynne-jones/take-it-from-me-fate-doesn-t-care-most-of-the-time/)

[Diana Wynne Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-wynne-jones/)

> [The golf ball doesn't care about know how hard you're working, or how many hours you slept that night. It only matters, what speed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-hovland/the-golf-ball-doesn-t-care-about-know-how-hard-you-re-working-or-how/)

[Viktor Hovland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-hovland/)

## More by Drew Goddard

> [I just don't want to make the same old movies. I'm not interested in it. Directing's hard. It takes up a lot of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-just-don-t-want-to-make-the-same-old-movies-i-m-not-interested-in/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [You don't want to make a movie just to make a movie. You better have a point of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/you-don-t-want-to-make-a-movie-just-to-make-a-movie-you-better-have-a/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [I think the thing I took most from game playing was just getting in the characters head. I took it really seriously. There's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-think-the-thing-i-took-most-from-game-playing-was-just-getting-in/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [A movie that's about other horror movies isn't interesting. A movie about who we are, is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/a-movie-that-s-about-other-horror-movies-isn-t-interesting-a-movie/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [That's the fun part about being a director. You get to say, 'Oh, now that I'm in charge, I can try and cast whoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/that-s-the-fun-part-about-being-a-director-you-get-to-say-oh-now-that/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [Truth is, I don't like movies that are only good once; I tend to dismiss them. I like movies that get better the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/truth-is-i-don-t-like-movies-that-are-only-good-once-i-tend-to/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [The more work you put in on your outline and getting the skeleton of your story right, the easier the process is later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/the-more-work-you-put-in-on-your-outline-and-getting-the-skeleton-of/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [I think so much of the horror film is about our primal instincts, and our primal instincts are not just towards violence. It's also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-think-so-much-of-the-horror-film-is-about-our-primal-instincts-and/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [Some people like when it rains a lot. Some people like sunshine. The idea that there's one, all encompassing afterlife is strange. It doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/some-people-like-when-it-rains-a-lot-some-people-like-sunshine-the/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [I've found that if you just try to make the film you want, you'll find the right audience. If you try to please everyone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-ve-found-that-if-you-just-try-to-make-the-film-you-want-you-ll-find/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [That's the thing about Lionsgate. They are fearless. No other studio would have made 'Hunger Games' the way they did. They're being fearless in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/that-s-the-thing-about-lionsgate-they-are-fearless-no-other-studio/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [If you worry too much about anything, you end up making bad movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/if-you-worry-too-much-about-anything-you-end-up-making-bad-movies/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [I love going to horror movies - especially when they are fun. I think that they get you in touch with sort of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-love-going-to-horror-movies-especially-when-they-are-fun-i-think/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [We've always been a band who's taken forever to do things. After writing 'Persona' I think we wrote about four songs in three years!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/we-ve-always-been-a-band-who-s-taken-forever-to-do-things-after/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

> [I love TV. I've been lucky that I get to do both, and both have things I love about them, features and TV. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-love-tv-i-ve-been-lucky-that-i-get-to-do-both-and-both-have-things/)

[Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

[Explore all 81 Drew Goddard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I can always tell when a filmmaker doesn't care about his or her characters; they just care about setting them up to kill them off.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Drew Goddard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn-t-care-about-his-or-her/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn-t-care-about-his-or-her/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/drew-goddard-8422_about_i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn_3082649.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/drew-goddard-8422_about_i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn_3082649.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f2/drew-goddard-8422_about_i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn_3082649.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I can always tell when a filmmaker doesn't care about his or her characters; they just care about setting…” — Drew Goddard",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Drew Goddard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I can always tell when a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn-t-care-about-his-or-her/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-can-always-tell-when-a-filmmaker-doesn-t-care-about-his-or-her/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
