I feel that way about string theory. I am merely an airmchair physicist, though I did have a physics minor in college, but it just feels... wrong. Ever more layers of complexity to explain away holes, and no real predictive power. But at least as of ~10-15 (and maybe still today, I have lost touch with that world) years ago, saying this in any serious setting would not make you any friends, nor get you any funding. It feels to me that we have likely squandered decades of brain power going down that hole.

I hope there are still those toiling away doing unpopular work, that can make a breakthrough....

I'm far outside of these social circles nowadays, but I stumbled across this youtube video of a phd candidate talking about string theory recently (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kya_LXa_y1E), and it seemed to imply that the pendulum in those social circles is swinging back again.

The presentation style for a science topic is off putting: "they lied to us" "just my opinion"

If there is an evidence then there is no "my opinion"--provide it. If you can't provide it, then don't make loud disparaging statements.

Such style should be left for social media "influencers" where "controversy is cash"