Do You Prefer Populist Film Criticism Over Professional Critics?

I usually do. I tend to give more credence to reviews by the average person than by professional critics. I look at reviews, comments and ratings on Letterboxd, IMDB, movie sites like this one, and friends and groups on Facebook.

Oh, someone who writes well, knows a bit, and has a sensibility that somewhat matches my own will get my attention.

Doesn't matter if they're professional or not, although 99 times out of 100 they won't be -- simply because there are many, many more people who match that description who are not professional film critics than who are. Just a numbers game.

Usually yes. When people have to go on about the cinematography or the costumes, direction, set design etc to try and make a movie look good than I do wonder if the film itself (ie story) is any good. The other thing pro critics do is try and make a film sound good by mentioning who is in it or who directed or wrote it etc. I don't care about things like that and depending on who is attached to the film it could actually put me right off it.

Pro Critics also tend to push films that they think have some kind of message or are trendy etc. Growing up I noticed that if critics endorsed a film than it was almost certain it would be boring.

I don't really pay much attention to reviews (I've watched more than a few universally-panned films I quite enjoyed, and not necessarily in a so-bad-it's-good kind of way), but yes; if I'm looking at them at all, it'll be from other users.

So-called "professional critics" have repeatedly proven, over the last few years, they are either financially ("can't trash this big blockbuster, the studio's gonna blackball me") or ideologically ("can't trash this film, it's got the correct politics") compromised.

I greatly prefer the pros because they are much better writers. They are more convincing in their arguments and give me a better understanding of what a movie is about. And if the movie is a stinker they are often quite funny.

I'll add that I prefer message boards. After getting to know someone's taste in movies, or if they've given you some good recommendations - it would hold a ton of weight for me.

Minus the bookends of partisans and schills polluting the discourse, I choose the public reaction over the pros every time. I ignore pro critics entirely at this point.

Critics USED TO BE the only opinions you had access to.
With the internet that is all gone now. Haven't bothered with Critics... well... mostly never. Some seemed like all they did was run things down, and give personal opinions over "does it please an audience". No thank you, sir.