The movie scene in 2023 was full of surprises and shifts. Some films that were expected to be huge hits, like “Ant-Man: Quantumania”, failed to live up to the hype.
But many others, such as “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Oppenheimer,” “Barbie,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” delighted us with their quality and creativity.
These movies revealed a new trend in the audience’s preferences. People are no longer interested in the complicated cinematic universe concept. They don’t want to watch endless sequels and spin-offs that are connected by a thin plot. But they also don’t want completely original and standalone films that have no connection to anything they know. They want something in between: films that are based on well-known brands or directed by trusted filmmakers, but that also have their own identity and story.
Attributed to Logos and Key Art | UK Press (disney.co.uk)
This trend was evident in the decline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which has dominated the pop culture for more than a decade.
The pandemic and the overproduction of films and shows have caused fatigue among fans.
The MCU has lost its charm and quality over time, producing major flops like “Thor: Love & Thunder”, “Ant-Man: Quantumania”, “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”, and “Secret Invasion”. Many critics and viewers have declared that the MCU, and maybe the superhero genre in general, has reached its end.
On the other hand, one of the most acclaimed films of the year was “Oppenheimer”, a biopic about the father of the atomic bomb.
The film was a stark contrast to the typical blockbuster. It was quiet, slow, and dramatic, focusing on the moral dilemmas and personal struggles of the protagonist. The film’s climax, the atomic testing, was a powerful and haunting scene.
The film also featured a remarkable performance by Robert Downey Jr., who shed his Iron Man persona and showed his versatility as an actor. The film was a masterpiece that changed my perspective on cinema.
Robert Downey Jr. in his role as Lewis Strauss (Attributed to Universal Pictures)
I watched it with my brother at our local Regal Cinema in River Park, where the audience was dressed in three-piece suits and tie-dye. We arrived early to get good seats, and we noticed that the theater was almost full.
The atmosphere was tense and excited. At that moment, we instantly knew that we were about to witness something historic. The lights dimmed, and the film started.
We were immediately drawn into the story, following the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant physicist who led the Manhattan Project. Christopher Nolan's direction excellently showed Oppenheimer's genius, passion, doubts, and regrets. Viewers could feel his emotions, his conflicts, and his fears.
The film was silent, calm, and dramatic, creating a contrast with the loud, fast, and action-packed blockbusters we were used to.
The climax of the film, the atomic testing, was most impactful.
Words could not describe the sensation of seeing the mushroom cloud rise in the night sky, and hearing Cillian Murphy’s heavy voice quoting the Bhagavad Gita, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Cillian Murphy in his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer (Attributed to Universal Pictures)
The film ended with a dramatic vision of the years to come, followed by a standing ovation. We clapped and cheered, feeling moved and amazed by the film. My brother and I walked out of the theater with our eyes wide and our minds blown. We knew that “Oppenheimer” was one of the best films we had ever watched. It had truly cemented itself to be a modern day classic.
I was also blown away by “Five Nights at Freddy’s”, a film adaptation of the popular horror video game series of the same name.
The film appealed to both die-hard fans and newcomers, who filled the theater with costumes and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” merchandise. As a fan of the games, I enjoyed spotting the references and Easter eggs to the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” universe, which spanned across games, books, and other media.
I went to see the film with my fellow members of Hype & Ekko, the media teams for Fresno State Esports. This was the same Regal Cinema where I watched “Oppenheimer” months before, but this time the atmosphere was much livelier. . . and definitely a little geekier.
After an eternity of waiting in line, we grabbed some popcorn and soda and found our seats among the excited crowd.
Attributed to Universal Pictures
The film began and we were instantly drawn into the world of "Five Nights at Freddy's", known simply as "FNAF". The film followed Mike Schmidt, a security guard with a dark past, who worked at an abandoned pizzeria haunted by animatronic robots.
The film paid homage to the "FNAF" universe by including references and Easter eggs to the games, books, and other media created by Scott Cawthon. The film also surprised us with a cameo by MatPat, the famous YouTuber who popularized "FNAF" with his theories, and a sudden reveal of Matthew Lillard's character being the notorious William Afton/Springtrap, the main villain of the game series.
The audience cheered and screamed at these moments with the same fervor they did four years ago when Captain America picked up Mjölnir in “Avengers: Endgame”.
The movie itself was not very scary, but it was a lot of fun and did a good job of adapting a video game to the big screen. Our team left the theater with smiles and laughter, feeling happy and content with what we had seen.
The movie industry underwent a radical shift in 2023. It exposed how the audience’s preferences are shifting and that the old formula is outdated. Hollywood needs to take cues from the hits and flops of 2023 and adjust to the new expectations heading into the future.
The future of movies hinges on finding that sweet spot between building a big, amazing, complicated world and crafting a story that audiences want to invest in.
Attributed to Universal Pictures
One of the main reasons for this change is the general fatigue with superhero and multiversal content. The genre is more than a decade old and clearly has not been done correctly in the past three years. We as audiences are not tired of movies adapting popular IPs, but cookie-cutter CGI fests are no longer the meta.
At the end of the day, audiences don’t want to feel like they’re doing homework when watching movies that are part of a larger cinematic universe. What "FNAF" does differently is that it doesn’t assume that the viewer already knows the lore. The movie is a new take on the first few games with many details changed, making it easier for new fans to get introduced to "FNAF" while also keeping fans of the video game series engaged with Easter eggs and new lore.
Cinema is not dead. People are still willing to go to the cinema in person. They just need a better incentive now. Movie producers need to pay attention to the critics and concentrate on improving movies instead of profit margins and the interests of stakeholders.