For me it's just part of the language of cinema, like a dolly zoom or a oner or slow-mo. I can notice those things, particularly when they fit the scene well,

For me it's just part of the language of cinema, like a dolly zoom or a oner or slow-mo. I can notice those things, particularly when they fit the scene well, and still appreciate them as a part of cinema on one hand, but still maintain my investment in the narrative on the other. Like when my heartstrings are being pulled. If it's done well enough, it doesn't matter if you realise in the moment that it's something the filmmakers are doing deliberately; you still feel the emotion. I can appreciate the craft at the same time as being invested in the story. I enjoy appreciating a film on multiple levels at the same time. To be sure, Wilhelm is more of a "heh, nice" moment than a "wow, what incredible craftsmanship" realisation. And, to my knowledge, it's never used inappropriately, e.g. in a historical tragic war scene. If it showed up in, say, Saving Private Ryan or 1917, I probably would be annoyed in a way that I'm not if it showed up in an MCU or John Wick installment.