As summer approaches, the hype for new blockbuster movies begins to rev up. Since the invention of film, students and young people have been flocking to movie theaters to see new releases during their summer vacations.
“I think there are definitely summer movies that are a big [cultural phenomenon],” said Elizabeth Gamba (‘27). “[During the summer], all the teenagers are out of school… and if I’m bored on a Tuesday all my friends are like, ‘Let’s go watch a movie.’”
Due to the importance of movies in popular culture, some students reported that they still participate in watching summer blockbuster movies, even if they are not particularly interested in the stories.
“I heard Spider-Man: Brand New Day was coming out. Not that I’m really a Spider-Man fan, but I might watch it,” said Mack Williams (‘27). “Every time I don’t watch a popular movie, everyone is on TikTok and in person is like, ‘Have you seen this [movie]?’ and I don’t want to be left out.”
However, some feel that the storylines offered in the new summer movies, especially action and superhero movies, are too convoluted and take away from the pleasure of experiencing the movie.
“I’ll probably watch the new Spider-Man, but I’m not a huge fan of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man over Andrew Garfield or Toby Maguire,” said Gamba. “The Marvel Cinematic Universe has gotten way too complicated post Avengers: Endgame that I feel like I have to watch 20 movies to [be caught up enough] to understand the new Spider-Man.”
But this year, some moviegoers are optimistic that the new summer blockbusters will feature more interesting and in-depth stories.
“I’m really excited for the Supergirl movie coming out,” said Gamba. “I’m hopeful that [movie executives] will see the success of Supergirl and Superman and make more [superhero] movies like them—more character-focused instead of action-focused.”
Still, many seem to be dissatisfied with the types of movies coming out nowadays.
“I’d like a wider variety [of movies],” said Sophia McCormack (‘29). “Right now, coming out in theaters, there are a lot of action movies and a lot of kids movies, and I wish there were a wider variety of things showing.”
As more and more people become disillusioned with the state of the movie industry, fewer people decide to frequent theaters for their movie-watching experience. The Harvard Gazette reports that fewer Americans are visiting theaters, and instead they are choosing to use various movie-streaming services such as Netflix, HBO Max, or Hulu. This trend can be explained by the costly ticket prices compared to the price of streaming services and the convenience of watching a movie at home, among other factors, according to the Associated Press.
“Since fewer people are going to theaters, [ticket prices] get more expensive,” said Gamba, “and then when they get more expensive, fewer people go [to theaters]—instead, they’ll say ‘I’m just going to watch [the movie] when it comes out on streaming [platforms].’”
Additionally, the in-theater movie experience can greatly depend on who happens to be in the audience, leading moviegoers to be less likely to go back to theaters for their next movie.
“When I watched A Minecraft Movie in theaters… there were [audience members] who were rude: they were yelling ‘Oh, my God, chicken jockey!’ and pointing at the screen,” said Gamba. “If I’m going to go to a movie like that and not enjoy the experience, then why not just watch it at home?”
Some said that they have noticed a decline in the quality of movie production, which may have led to theaters slowly falling out of popularity with young people.
“A lot of the movies coming out today are very industrialized,” said Cooper Adamson (‘28). “There’s too much production that goes into [new movies]. You look at Fight Club: it’s filmed out in public. Or Rocky, for example, where he’s running, that’s out in public… Versus [today], when everything’s filmed in a studio with CGI… I think movies [coming out today] are still good, but they’re quite different from how they used to be.”
Specifically, some students believe that a worrying new trend has led to the decline in the quality of new movies: producers’ and studios’ primary concern of generating revenue over artistic integrity.
“[Older movies] seem to focus on artistic value rather than commercialization,” said Adamson. “All the movies nowadays are about making money. There are still some movies today that are [more message-focused], but back in the day… the producers didn’t care as much about making money… They didn’t have all these product placements. They cared more about the [artistic] value of the movie itself.”
While not all new movies and summer blockbusters fall into this category, many reported that the nostalgia and quality of old movies might not be beat.
“I think good movies are, in fact, still coming out… but at the same time, [no new movies] will truly beat the feel of [classic movies],” said Adamson, “especially because [new movies] are getting so industrialized.”
