I think part of why this happens is that critics are part of the "creative" class of people. Creative people are more likely to be open to new ideas and explore, which is more likely to lead them to scenarios in their lives that look something like the non-binary vegan sex worker side of our world. And so, they find the dramatic look into the lives of marginal characters fascinating. I'm going to point to Silence.
To be a Christian in Japan during this part of the Edo Jidai is an especially marginal identity. It's not hard for a creative type who has seriously been on the margin at some point in their life to relate to that even if they are not Christian. It also doesn't hurt of course that the final message delivered is a pan-out view of his faith in its unconfessed nature which does indeed comport to a contemporary agenda summed up well in the movie's title; "Silence", as an imperative. "It is virtuous to make your sacrifices to Caesar/The Emprah, step on the fumie, and never speak about your religion in public because it causes other people pain and discomfort."
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silence_2017
To be a Christian in Japan during this part of the Edo Jidai is an especially marginal identity. It's not hard for a creative type who has seriously been on the margin at some point in their life to relate to that even if they are not Christian. It also doesn't hurt of course that the final message delivered is a pan-out view of his faith in its unconfessed nature which does indeed comport to a contemporary agenda summed up well in the movie's title; "Silence", as an imperative. "It is virtuous to make your sacrifices to Caesar/The Emprah, step on the fumie, and never speak about your religion in public because it causes other people pain and discomfort."