It's not hard and even though the story creators usually have intended themes part of it is what messages the story had for you. It really isn't that hard to realize as long as you put in the smallest degree of thought. If you're not willing to see the purpose behind a story how could I ever trust a recommendation from you even if you did see everything in my top 10? It's basically like your saying you're completely incapable of telling the difference between a well written story and a poorly written one.
The thing is though that people take away different things from every experience in their lives, including entertainment, and telling good writing from bad writing varies between people too. Twilight has a lot of followers for a reason, after all, and if there's something good to be found in those books for them then that's fantastic. If the guy in question can take something away from the story then that's great because it means it at least succeeded at that. You sometimes hear how artists wants to convey certain messages through their art, while others might have gathered something else entirely. An example could be glam-rock band Queen's song Bohemian Rhapsody. A 9-minute long song that is riddled with different varietys of musical genres and lyrics that reflect the shape-shifting moods of its story. Some believe it is about the late-front-man Freddie Mercury's personal problems. Some believe the lyrics describe a suicidal murderer haunted by demons or depict events just preceding an execution -- Others believe it's an homáge to Albert Camus' novel The Stranger in which a young man confesses to an impulsive murder and has an epiphany before he is executed, as probable inspiration.
Others just like it for its sound.
You don't go into a song, game, show or anything like it, expecting to learn something as much as solely being entertained which sometimes doesn't have to be so abstract. You go in to be entertained -- Of course the most precious thing about good storytelling is the added bonus of the experience granting you something to contemplate on.
None of these interpretations are necessarily false, or even unheard of at all. I do hear what you're trying to say however -- If someone actually wants their recommendation to be heard then thinking outside the box would be ideal, finding assets, points, that would appeal to others. I think, generally, one should just go with the things they took away from the experience, and not think too much about whether it'll be taken into consideration by others too much because opinions are stretched out between people. Not much else to it.