Movie Zone
Here I will post movie reviews and recommendations, opinions and updates on the world of film, lists/rankings, and the occasional film essay/analysis if I am feeling brave enough
What a journey it’s been. Over the last few months, I’ve dove into some of the biggest topics in modern cinema and how each is affecting current films: comic book movies, legacy sequels, and TV series. We’ve looked at the good, the bad, and the ugly within every topic and what they mean for the future of film. In today’s article, I will give a brief summary and my overall thoughts on the current state of film and what the future may hold for our beloved movies. The COVID courseOne theme that was undeniably common amongst the trends we went over in this series was the effect of the pandemic. Being put on complete lockdown for months with no immediate solution in sight was detrimental to thousands of industries, including film. Movie theaters, already on their way out of popularity with streaming on the rise, were completely dead, productions were halted, and money was lost. Meanwhile, streaming dominated, cementing the popularity of TV series over film that had already been growing. As a scramble to recover money and to get theaters popular again, it seems this was an even bigger reason why comic book films and remake/reboot/sequels doubled down. Already proven to be financially and oftentimes critically successful, these types of films and even TV shows were greenlit and multiplied by the dozen, pushing original films to streaming while they dominated the theater. There is even an argument to be made about the current climate, political- and economic-wise, influencing what films are most popular. Would you rather spend an exciting Friday night at the movies watching an indie drama about the downfall of humanity, or see your favorite superhero kicking ass towards a happily ever after? To be fair, there was somewhat of an attempt at drawing people back to theaters after lockdown with original films as well. Probably the first big-budget theater movie to be released post-lockdown was Chaos Walking in March of 2021, starring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley, the faces of an enormous superhero and legacy sequel franchise respectively. And… no one went to see it, resulting in one of the most yikes-box-office-bombs of recent years. The not so hopefulOne of the biggest travesties with the current status that film is in is the erasure of original and independent films. Either not given any substantial marketing or dumped onto a streaming service, any film that isn’t big blockbuster bait is essentially pushed aside. Unique films like Late Night With the Devil, The Marsh King’s Daughter, or Abigail get the most minimal (and sometimes zero) marketing. It is to the point where they are released as if in secret, and surviving from word of mouth is their only hope, which won’t often bring in booming theater revenue alone any longer. Not against the superhero and reboot juggernauts. The numbers don’t lie. Superhero and reboot movies have higher box office numbers most of the time, and any money spent to try and promote a completely original film not tied to any previous franchise, character, or property, is usually money lost. Much as we demand more original content in film, we don’t go out and see it. This is most likely from one of two reasons. The first is what I previously mentioned: in this economy, people don’t want to pay to take a risk. They want to take their family or their date to something familiar, something they know will at least be of some interest since it is a property they are already a fan of. With prices booming in every direction, throwing out money for tickets and snacks for multiple people is a very different kind of investment than it was in the past. People want to spend their free time and hard-earned money on Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in the gigantic space epic a second and third time rather than with a bunch of character actors in a small hour-and-a-half found footage horror film, awesome as anyone who has seen it will tell you it is. (And no shade. I get it. This is coming from someone who saw The Rise of Skywalker six times in the theater.) The second reason is that original movies get no big-budget marketing, and are being released in fewer and fewer theaters, especially as more theaters begin to go out of business. No one will go see that found footage horror movie if they don’t even know it’s coming out. Nobody will be in the theater to see Daisy Ridley being a gorgeous badass in movies where her character’s name isn’t Rey if there isn’t a theater with a showtime for it. Or my favorite: when there is only one showtime at 10pm. These films are essentially set up to fail in the theater. The hopefulObviously, that is not the end of the story. In recent years especially, we have seen a rise in theater attendance and support for more original films. Last year’s Oppenheimer, Barbie, and even Poor Things showed that audiences will turn out in droves for movies that don’t come from Marvel. In fact, the past number of comic book film releases have been mostly flops, both financial- and critical-wise. Hopefully, studios will begin to hear this loud and clear, and us audience members will continue to stick to our guns on this. As far as legacy sequels go, for every Halloween Ends and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, we get a Doctor Sleep, or Top Gun: Maverick. Though there are a fair amount of reboots shoved out that are only gracing us with the hope of making some fast cash, there are also a fair amount that have genuine creative ideas and that take the existing story in an expanded direction. Reboots, sequels, and remakes will never vanish, and while the volume is certainly far too overwhelming at the moment, we all love to see our favorite stories and characters continuing on. There is opportunity for so much within so many different universes. Going more in the re-imagining route rather than the straight up remake route seems to be the most interesting way to go if we do want to keep making/seeing these reboots. And while I have my problems with streaming and TV Series, this area of entertainment has no doubt brought its share of positive impacts on the industry. Streaming services have offered a second life to forgotten films, or films that otherwise would not have gotten any recognition or proper theatrical release. It has attempted to widen the reach of films for people unable to attend theaters of purchase physical media (while ironically then closing off access to groups of people by eradicating physical media and sending movie theaters scrambling for business). Movies get a second chance to land with audiences on streaming, as they used to do with physical media releases. Apart from that, the rise in popularity of TV series allows for fresh, original content to be greenlit and given the spotlight. Tons of stories get to be told and enjoyed that usually wouldn’t get any kind of release or attention as films. TV shows also give the opportunity of expanding character and story to depths movies are unable to get into, making them ideal for adapting certain source material to the screen. It has opened the door to more creative ideas and people to be brought forth into the industry and receive recognition. Will film survive?If you ask most people, from the highest caliber film critic to a person off the street, they will most likely tell you how unimpressed they are by the state of film at the moment, mostly concerning the onslaught of superheroes and remakes. Most will admit that TV and streaming has much more of their attention. But film has gone through these phases before. As I discussed in my previous article, a time of struggle in film has often led to a creative rebirth. The movie industry goes through phases of all kinds, and like any other business, there are ups and down continuously. I always have faith in film continuing to bring joy, hope, and power to those who need it. In the past five years alone, I’ve seen a great amount of tremendous films that I will keep with me for the rest of my life, even if the general public forgets about them. Movies are meant to be magic. They essentially began as a magic trick, a funny and fantastical escape from reality. Creatives will always find a way to get their work out there, and we as audiences have the power to choose what we want to spend our time on. Beautiful, powerful, magical things will continue to find their way to us so long as we remain open to them. So, here’s to many more glorious movie years and movie criticisms. Best of recent yearsSince hope for film seems to be low, I thought I’d end this article going over some of my favorite movies released within the past couple of years that are not reboots or superhero franchise films. 65 (2023) My favorite film of last year, biased as I am. This was just an exciting, action-packed throwback to action adventure movies of the 80s and 90s, going back to a basic storytelling formula with likable leads and a fun, heartwarming story. Check out my review for my full thoughts. Poor Things (2023) An incredibly trippy, creative parody on gothic horror with gorgeous visuals. Bella Baxter is a hilarious and relatable lead that is probably one of the best characters in recent cinema. The colorful side characters around her and the beautiful journey she goes on makes for a fantastic sci-fi odyssey. Megan (2023) Okay, technically a goof on Chucky, but still original in its own right. This is a throwback-type horror movie with a brand-new potential horror icon. Truly a breath of fun and ridiculous fresh air, despite the unfortunate PG-13 rating, that livened a usually dry season of January and February horror releases. Late Night With the Devil (2024) A unique take on the found footage horror flick with a fun and gory edge. A cast made up of super entertaining character actors, and a perfect late-night 70s television vibe that makes it feel as if you are watching an insane documentary of a TV airing gone horribly wrong. Seeing David Dastmalchian get his leading role debut in a film like this was immensely satisfying for us horror fans. Red, White, and Royal Blue (2023) What more is there to say? The best romance film in recent years, showcasing an entertaining, healthy, passionate relationship between characters that have become such an important staple already in so many people's lives. A triumphant step for LGBT+ love stories, so impactful that we have a sequel well on the way! Annette (2021) Ok, last Adam Driver movie, I promise. This is a bizarre, gorgeous, haunting fable with gut-wrenching characters and performances. The soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, and though the surface story and visuals are odd, it stands unashamedly as a modern romantic gothic tragedy that has endless layers you can discover with each viewing. They Cloned Tyrone (2023) A hilarious throwback to Blaxploitation films of the 70s, as well as sci-fi horror comedies. The characters are unique and incredibly likable, and the production design is utterly gorgeous, with fantastic colors and lighting, and great set pieces. It definitely deserved a theatrical release. Bottoms (2023) Yet another throwback movie, this time to bizarre high school comedies from the 80s. The over-the-top nature of the film makes it immensely enjoyable to watch, and the characters are a blast. The comedic timing is perfect in nearly every scene, making this one of the funniest movies I’ve had the joy of seeing at the theater. Oppenheimer (2023) How can I praise this any more than it has been? It more than deserved the best picture win in a year filled with amazing films. The scale, the music, the visuals, the acting… everything is top-notch filmmaking. Truly an emotional experience on so many different levels, and a film that proved that there are some movies that need the theaters to remain alive so that we can experience these visual masterpieces the way they were meant to be viewed. Malignant (2021) By far one of the best horror films in the past few years. Atmospheric, gory, f-cked up, and reminiscent of old exploitation and giallo horror films mixed with a break-neck pace and sleek edge. This was truly a masterpiece of modern horror and an entry that was desperately needed in the genre. Willy’s Wonderland (2021)
Managed to outdo the Five Nights at Freddy’s film before it even came out. Nicolas Cage vs. Possessed Animatronics is already the best movie ever in concept, but with genuinely freaky practical animatronics, a fantastic setting and soundtrack, gory kills, and a gorgeous color palette, this movie was way better than it had any right being. Obviously not a big release, but deserving of attention nonetheless with its personality and unashamed weirdness.
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June 2024
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