Chris Pine reflects on staying strong after 'Poolman' criticism

Chris Pine has recently opened up about his directorial debut, Poolman.

Despite the negative reviews, Pine described it as most significant experience of his career.

During his appearance on Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor reflected on the personal growth and resilience he gained from the project.

He said, "It’s forced me to double down on joy, as an actor… fundamentally it’s about play, right? What we do is essentially become children for hours a day and make believe.... there’s an impish quality to it that I don’t ever want to lose."

Poolman, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last fall, stars Pine as a pool technician in Los Angeles who stumbles upon a water heist, in a narrative that spoofs the 1974 classic Chinatown.

Reflecting on the negative reviews post-Toronto, Pine admitted to doubting the film's quality but maintained his affection for it after re-watching.

"After the reviews in Toronto I was like, maybe I did just make a pile of shit, So I went back and watched it, and I was like, I fucking love this film," he said.