Movies are an odd thing right now. More people than ever don’t even go to theaters anymore, either due to burnout with the current crop of movies, a lack of spending money, or creating habits with streaming at home. At this point, many feel that the state of film, at least in this country, is more precarious than ever as a thing of cultural importance. I feel, however, that this uncertain time is a golden opportunity to shift what people watch simply by asking one question: do you like what you watch right now?
I think it was the recent X-Men trailer for Avengers: Doomsday that got me to this talking point. Seeing people who mostly discussed how burnt out they were with the MCU, suddenly going head over heels with the X-Men showing up in their traditional costumes and bringing out extremely geriatric Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart to close out their universe, again, for probably the 4th time. The fact that one of the biggest studios out there is more focused on digging up old nostalgia, both long-term and short-term, is a bad sign for the state of what was once considered the big dynasty of blockbusters. This also applies to stuff like the Disney remakes or the many franchise revivals or sequels. For every good or decent one, there’s a bunch that just feels like white noise. I asked that question earlier because these types of movies have been the highest performers at the box office, and I sincerely want to know if audiences actually enjoy these types of films or are just preconditioned to only go see them.
I believe that what is missing from the current landscape of film-watching habits is a sense of exploration and risk-taking. So many of the films being made now are driven by familiarity and existing ideas. At this point, it feels like too many of the big franchises have hit a wall, and the people in charge aren’t willing or don’t see the financial incentive to change things up. However, this all misses the fact that long-standing elements of culture always come out of nowhere, and running in circles means that we won’t find anything new or interesting. The tried-and-true elements of the best films were formed because directors and studios took risks, and audiences took a similar risk by seeing them. Now, audiences are just too comfortable with seeing the same old. When most movies barely make any money, the general public will still give a billion to franchise nostalgia or whatever remake Disney reheated over the weekend.
In a way, I think that the aspect of exploration should be more ever-present with how we watch films these days, since we have more accessibility to films in general than ever. Streaming has allowed the libraries of decades of film to be accessible in seconds, and it just takes the right mindset and knowledge to find a hidden gem or something engaging you never considered before. I personally have approached my film watching habits in the manner of looking around at different decades and seeing what interests me as well as where I can watch it. Some of my favorite movies that I’ve recently come across, I only knew about by happenstance. Does a premise or a poster grab your eye? Look deeper into the movie and its details and see if it’s worth your time.
Alongside the aspect of being open to exploring the past, I think changing how one looks at the present is also important as well. I don’t think that trusting in big franchises will be the way to find interesting or exciting movies anymore. Too many of them are stuck in the mode of trying to play it safe for maximum results. Honestly, it’s the smaller films that are the ones that take the big swings and will probably stay with you longer. Just in the last year, I saw films like Sinners, One Battle After Another, and Marty Supreme in theaters and felt that I gained a lot through experiencing those movies because they were distinctive and felt driven by the artist or engaging filmmaking. I still saw franchise movies like Superman or Predator: Badlands, but I only saw those either due to how they were also director-driven or that they offered something new or interesting in the execution of played-out tropes and characters. The fact that Disney’s big films this year are a Moana remake, another Toy Story, and an Avengers film rushing to try and recapture Endgame’s hype with none of the work tells me that approaching films with the mindset I currently have is going to be more fulfilling in the long term. Looking for more engaging work in different places will result in more fulfilling cinematic experiences than most of the big-budget stuff that feels rushed out to meet shareholder demands rather than being made from a sincere drive to entertain.
Look, I know this is just a random article on a geek site. I won’t judge people for watching and enjoying films that I personally have a distaste for. All I ask is for those same people to try other movies or change up their viewing habits once in a while. If you ate the same meal all the time, you would get sick of it. You would want something that has a different or more complex taste to it. Balance and exploration are the key. Director James Gray once said that studios taught audiences to watch films in a certain way, and that is why things are the way they are now. The focus was shifted to big blockbusters and franchises with no room for smaller films or a varied approach. I agree with Gray and will state that, with the accessibility we have today with film, it should be up to us in the audience to try to shift those habits back to a different angle. Movies are special in what they provide and how they can impact people. Finding new ways to get invested in them is something I feel is wonderful, and that more people should try to do.
