Some of them focus on analysis of film languages while others tell stories about filmmakers and film history.
Much film criticism online was based on blogs and was often written in blog form before. Now, both Moviegoer and Cinephilia have evolved into more comprehensive media websites, offering information like a movie magazine.
With increasing popularity on social media sites such as WeChat and microblogs, the communication is also becoming more interactive and multi-dimensional. Audiences are taking a proactive role in obtaining information about the films they are interested in and are gathering that information from sources they believe to be reliable. These online critic websites are benefitting from the fact that people are more likely to trust someone they have listened to, read or chatted with online.
The role of film critics
Wang Haizhou, a professor at Beijing Film Academy said that film critics have always had an influential role in Chinese film history. In the 1930s, directors would change their style based on film critics' advice, but now with so many business interests involved, that is no longer the case.
Film reviews, especially on some rating sites, are seen as a marketing tool. And film critics are never as glamorous as filmmakers.
So do we really need film critics?
"Chinese audiences don't have so many choices at the cinema now, but with more films coming, they will [need critics] in the future," said Gao.
In an environment where "water armies" manipulate the rating for some films, sites that offer quality reviews with precise comments and a neutral position become more valuable, especially if the discussion is less about social or business issues and more about film as art.
Zhu finds that the generally low scores on Cinephilia for commercial Chinese movies are sometimes interpreted as a sign that film critics hate domestic films, but actually, it is a genuine concern for the domestic industry's development that motivates them to write.
Others may think that the huge box office in recent years indicates a bright future for Chinese movies. For Zhu, that view may be too optimistic. He points out, higher profits won't lead to higher quality: the environment still does not encourage originality and creativity, and a long-debated rating system is still nowhere in sight.
In the end, what can be a source of power to push filmmakers to improve and really leave their mark in the history books? Perhaps one option is a group of independent and influential film critics.
Modern movie dream in retro Mingguo street
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