Within a culture of sequels and remakes, there has been a lot of discourse online surrounding new movies being made. In the last couple years, there has been an influx of movie remakes rather than original stories. Just within the last year we saw tons of remakes and sequels including Final Destination: Bloodlines, 28 Years Later, IT: Welcome to Derry, Tron: Ares, Frankenstein, and many more. While some have been better than others, audiences are getting bored! People want to see new things. 

I believe that we’re just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Production studios seem to be hearing these critiques and responding. More recently, we’ve started to see great original titles like Hamnet and Marty Supreme coming to theaters in the last month. Now, the most important thing is for audiences to get out and show their support for these new movies. One of the biggest pushes for original movies comes from how they perform in the box office. Unfortunately, movie theaters never really recovered after the Covid19 pandemic. According to Variety Magazine, ticket sales in 2024 had a 23.5% decrease compared to pre-pandemic statistics. 

There really is nothing like going to the theater, I believe it’s the best way to experience a new movie. In a digital age of constant stimulus, it can be hard at times to even sit through a full movie without getting antsy. Movie and show writers have had to implement a new plot technique called the “Two screen rule,” which is exactly what it sounds like. Studies show a steep increase of audience members checking a second device, like a phone or iPad, while watching a movie. To keep these audiences engaged, writers have resorted to dumbing-down plotlines and creating very obvious dialogue. This contributes to the culture of remakes, as some writers believe audiences will only be able to follow a plot which they’re already familiar with. 

Luckily, the movie theater is one of the rare environments where you’ll be frowned upon for checking a phone. This leads audiences to really pay attention to what they’re watching in a distraction-free environment. It’s mutually beneficial to both the audience and the movie producers. You get to see a movie in the best possible way, and they get support to produce independent and unique new features! So, get off your phone and support your favorite theater.