What's so bad about the Dear Evan Hansen movie?

Dear Evan Hansen hit its world premiere red carpet in Toronto not unlike the Titanic hit the Atlantic ocean. Gowns and suits, full of hope, and no knowledge of the complete and utter disaster waiting for them.

While it might seem extreme to compare the sinking of an ocean liner with a relatively small-budget movie musical, judging from the early reviews, the comparison really isn't too far off. 

You don't need to look further than the headlines: "Dear Evan Hansen is a misfire on just about every level," wrote the AV Club; "Cloying teenage musical a massive misfire," said the Detroit News; "ghoulish Ben Platt sinks high school musical," from The Guardian. And Canadian reviewer Sarah Hagi might have encapsulated the general critic opinion best in her article "Dear Evan Hansen is a true crime story."

"After the events of the past year and a half, audiences at the cinema might need a bit of a reprieve," Hagi wrote. "But what happens when a film tries to be uplifting, yet leaves you so nauseated and confused that it feels like a stain on your mind?"

Titanic. 

But where, exactly, did it all go wrong? How did a beloved Broadway musical — winner of six Tony Awards, including best musical — provoke one of the most widespread and united hate-ons since Cats? How did a movie marketed as a feel good, come-together story get branded "manipulative" so many times it's nearly become a tagline? And, most importantly, is all the hate warranted?

WATCH | CBC's Eli Glasner and Jackson Weaver debate Dear Evan Hansen: