Somewhere between the release of the trailer and the opening weekend, the question shifts from whether it’s a good movie to if it’s safe to be liked. Cinema has always been a powerful reflection of the current movements and people’s emotions around the globe. From the 1940s when war films and musicals reflected the anxieties surrounding World War II to the blockbuster superhero and fantastical animated films of the 2000s, every decade brought its own flair to match its audience. Cultural views and technological advancements impacted the cinema culture through time to evolve genres that touched the audience.
The audience’s relationship with cinema has never been passive. Starting as early as the 19th century, projections on the big screen involving movement, novelties and flickering images characterized the visual storytelling that shook the audience. The impact of the “Lumiere Train” encapsulating sensory perception and giving the audience a chance to admire the marvel of reality on such a high stage gave rise to the very first technical leap. Tom Gunning famously called this act of prioritising spectacle over substance as “Cinema of Attractions.” The art of cinema transcended the narrative of telling a story and fell in line with giving an audience an immersive experience. This progressed to coloured images, CGI, and plot development which took on a stronger role in the upcoming decades. The late 20th century blew up with an advent to blockbuster movies with action adventure films like Jaws and Indiana Jones. These movies set the stage for a high level entertainment with a surround system that enveloped the audience for those two hours in the theater. This was followed by the development of the subgenre of superhero films with the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2000s.
Today’s taste in movies doesn’t necessarily rely on genre, but more on the character. The audience expects more than an extensive cinematic experience and the focus shifts towards the complexities of a character. Moreover, the ideal anti-hero has also been deemed ordinary now causing a spin on what constitutes ‘good cinema.’ Flawed characters, conflicted backstories, and redemption arcs are the new hit points to grab the audience’s attention. We have culturally moved from seeing a utopian world where everything is perfect and the main hero has been chosen to restore peace; rather the audience wants to see realities on the screen. This is precisely why the new Spiderman: Brand New Day movie’s trailer and Project Hail Mary have gotten so popular recently. It captures vulnerability rather than invincibility, exploring ordinary human emotions in extraordinary surroundings. One of the complicated matters around this view is that a lot of how a ‘good movie’ is characterized is by what’s currently viral or trending on the internet. On paper, Project Hail Mary doesn’t really fit the mainstream idea of a blockbuster movie. The slow burn, sciency heavy idea with no standard love story seems to be subjected to a niche audience but somehow takes on a mass appeal. Apart from Ryan Gosling’s casting, the idea of a lone man piecing himself back to a human again seemed to have added layers of integrity within a movie that people crave at the moment. This kind of backstory can be perceived differently by everyone, making them relate in their own unique ways which makes complex movies so intriguing to the audience.
Streaming is the most common way to be caught up on cinema as of now and has taken the population on a new level of comfort. Being able to watch a movie and have a forum, social media, to discuss the movie without moving an inch and having the comfort of ordering any food at reasonable prices has been the main motivation factor. Going to the theatres has always been more about community and less about the actual movie. It’s the shared experiences that allows one to feel extensively about a movie. Sharing the feeling with a room full of strangers cannot compare to what you feel watching it alone. This is precisely the reason why sometimes even streaming shows sometimes decide to air the finale on a wide screen. For example, The Summer I Turned Pretty became a global phenomenon towards the end of the last season and almost everyone was watching it together but individually. Somehow, social media caught up to this and decided to host their own little watch parties with a minimal fee so strangers could come together to experience the finale together. Several movies in the past few years have not done ‘box-office’ well. With enormous production budgets, the shift to streaming websites and lower attention span of the audience, there is a major decline in the cinematic industry. People are fast to judge and hard to please and once in a blue moon collectively find one movie to be considered close to a classic.
A good movie results in silence in the room. A collective gasp, an exclamation, or a tear that unites a group of strangers sitting in a dark room fuels the production teams’ creativity. Making the time, taking the effort, and showing up to experience a moment without being swayed by the internet’s opinion is what cinema is all about. Just like how an artist doesn’t reveal the meaning of their song, a movie is not meant to convey the same message to an entire population, so why let social media make it so? Whether it’s about fiction or reality, it’s the shared emotion but individual perspectives that leaves an impact on the ride back home.
The scroll can wait.