Mindy Kaling: White male critics are being 'unfair' to Ocean's 8

Ocean's 8 actor Mindy Kaling (left) has hit out at white male movie critics, saying if she had to base her career on 'what white men wanted' she would be 'very unsuccessful'. Photo / Getty Images

Ocean's 8 star Mindy Kaling has hit back at white male movie critics — claiming they've been "unfair" to the all-female-star reboot of the heist-movie franchise.

All eight leads in Ocean's 8 — released earlier this month — are played by women, including Kaling, Sandra Bullock, Cate Bullock, Anne Hathaway and Sarah Paulson.

The movie has so far attracted mixed reviews, with one critic describing it as a "lifeless, hand-me-down script" with an "uninspired heist".

It currently has a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 49% audience score.

"If I had to base my career on what white men wanted, I would be very unsuccessful," Kaling told Yahoo News. "There is obviously an audience out there who want to watch things like [Oceans 8] which I work on.''

Co-star Cate Blanchett added that the media was largely at fault.

"The conversation has to change and the media has a huge responsibility," Blanchett said.

Meanwhile, Bullock — who plays Debbie Ocean in the movie — called for more female critics.

"It would be nice if reviewers reflected who the film is for, like children should review children's films, not a 60-year-old man," she said.

Bullock added that she would like there to be "balancing out the pool of critics so that it reflects the world we are in, like we are trying to reflect the world that I live in and my friends live in".

Last month, Blanchett told reporters at the Met in New York City that when she'd first heard about the concept behind the movie, she was sceptical.

"Two or three years ago this seemed like an impossibility, like how could you possibly get this made?" Blanchett recalled. "And it's so great that it's being released now. We go, 'Well, of course'. A lot has shifted I think."

Bullock admitted she'd also had doubts.

"I honestly didn't think it would happen. I thought it was a fun idea … I didn't at the time think the movie would get made," she said.