In a world full of excellent cinema, lackluster films dominate pop-culture.
I acknowledge that I’m the pretentious one; I love high-quality movies. No, not action blockbusters or the latest mediocre Netflix films. I prefer to indulge myself in the newest installment to Martin Scorsese’s illustrious filmography.
While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, many of today’s popular films are just blatantly dull. In 2022, nine of the ten highest grossing films at the box office fell into the action genre. Action films can be entertaining, but they are certainly not all that the movie world has to offer.
I’m not saying that all good films have to feel slow-paced or lethargic. I remember my jaw dropping at the brutal ending to David Fincher’s Seven — one of many great thrillers.
At the very least, good films are thought-provoking and sincere. Too many modern day popular films lack these two basic necessities.
Marvel is a prime example of a franchise that lacks any sort of artistry. Marvel’s sole objective is to pump out characters that market a larger product. They don’t seek to make compelling films that spark emotion and critical thinking.
I’m not opposed to the occasional Marvel film; however, I am opposed to the way in which Marvel is dominating the cinema industry. Nowadays, when movies are discussed at a dinner table, people are talking about the latest subpar blockbuster.
My dream reality is that people could take it upon themselves and watch highly esteemed works. Branch out to the world of great directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino, etc.
There’s a great world of film out there, but we have to make the decision to access it.
This story was produced at ThreeSixty’s Op-Ed Workshop in fall 2023. Dylan worked with researcher Mike Malloy and retired writer Don Checots to finish his story. Click here to read more stories from the workshop.
