Despite tackling severe subject matter, Edward Berger’s thriller offers a deeply comforting surprise: a juicy and enjoyable film that surpasses the typical, austere Catholic dramas Hollywood has produced recently. When the penultimate episode of unfolds, contestants suddenly shift gears, abandoning lingering friendships to form new pacts and engage in ruthless strategic maneuvering – a full-blown coup d’etat – all before the lights go out at Tribal Council, this time with the storied Vatican City serving as an unprecedented backdrop for the machinations.
As a highly charged and contentious election unfolds, one issue stands out as pivotal: the Church’s willingness to adapt to change versus its commitment to preserving long-held beliefs and traditions. Scandals emerge. Chaos ensues. At its core, this film is surprisingly straightforward, yet somehow manages to transcend expectations, embracing its simplicity as a clever stroke of genius. Each character’s dialogue lacks distinctiveness, instead serving as a narrative device to inform readers of the scene’s events. Stanley Tucci brings Cardinal Bellini to life. It concludes with a surprising turn of events that you and they will jointly uncover. Notably, this project stands out for its exceptionally high standards, a rare commodity in today’s work environment. The film’s modest $20 million budget and relatable narrative firmly establish it as a quintessential middlebrow production.
Traditionally, the term “middlebrow” has been wielded as a derogatory label, implying that art or entertainment catering to the broadest possible audience is somehow intellectually and aesthetically inferior. However, the often-overlooked third path, nestled between intellectual pursuits and popular culture, deserves far greater recognition. Watching a film that avoids insulting or overwhelming our intellect is a welcome relief, and meeting certain expectations shouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
In today’s cinematic landscape, the term “middlebrow” has become lost between the extremes of big-budget, effects-driven IP films and critically acclaimed, art-house indies touted on Letterboxd. Within the prevailing dichotomy, it has become increasingly challenging to find films with broad appeal that also tell captivating, relatable stories. Los Angeles Times film critic Katie Walsh defines a middlebrow film as something she would recommend to anyone – a parent, friend, or acquaintance.
As Hollywood studio heads continue to hedge their bets on major franchise investments in pursuit of massive box office returns, a more encouraging trend has emerged in recent years: the resurgence of mid-budget films, which are now yielding significant benefits at the box office. Within the past year, mid-sized projects such as [insert names] have garnered significant attention and substantial box office earnings. As Hollywood’s blockbuster-driven era begins to wane, could middlebrow cinema finally be poised for a revival?
In the aftermath of the explosive ’80s blockbuster phenomenon’s decline, the ’90s saw a resurgence of humble, under-the-radar films earning attention. During the latter half of the past decade, Miramax, formerly affiliated with Harvey ‘, experienced significant commercial success, producing several of its highest-grossing films. Movies such as Avengers: Endgame, Titanic, The Dark Knight, and Avatar, for instance, exceeded expectations at the box office and ultimately earned nominations or Academy Award wins.
Despite this, mid-sized films sought to prove their worth beyond mere prestige. Between the 2000s and subsequent years, it was common for Oscar-winning tear-jerkers to be accompanied by a diverse array of popular films catering to crowd-pleasing sentiment – a genre that sometimes bordered on “junk” – including melodramatic romances and male-bonding comedies.
While smaller-budget films may not always guarantee exceptional quality, they have historically provided adults with a diverse range of stories and genres to choose from at the cinema. Here’s the rewritten text:
The cinematic landscape of the ’90s and aughts was marked by the proliferation of “chick flicks,” sports-themed films, legal thrillers, family dramas, caper movies, and whodunits. Emerging filmmakers were afforded the opportunity to push creative boundaries and take calculated risks with substantial budgets ranging from $10 million to $60 million, allowing them to either pioneer innovative concepts or refine their skills on more traditional projects. With the current landscape of IP-based films, studios often focus on casting A-list actors to draw in crowds, taking a chance on innovative stories that deviate from established franchises. During the era of physical media, studios relied heavily on revenue generated by VHS and DVD sales – exemplified by the enduring success of certain franchises, which continued to yield profits long after their initial releases – thereby extending the lifespan and increasing the potential for profitability of these medium-sized movies.
In the early 2000s, mid-tier films dominated a studio’s annual output, but lucrative franchises such as Star Wars and Harry Potter also contributed significantly to the bottom line, proving their value as viable investments. The unexpected surge in earnings from moderate-budget films was starting to pale in comparison to the massive sums generated by franchise properties, which promised lucrative sequel opportunities and astronomical returns.
Twelve months following the release of “The Hurt Locker” in 2009, the film industry began to exhibit growing skepticism toward mid-budget films targeting adult audiences. Hollywood executives have shifted their focus and considerable resources towards blockbuster franchises capable of generating a lucrative “labyrinth of ancillary opportunities,” including merchandising and gaming tie-ins.
After 15 years and 33 Marvel cinematic ventures, it has been proven to be the case. Twelve months on, it appears audiences have no choice but to rely on comedian book films (and their numerous sequels), live-action Disney remakes, video game adaptations, and reboots of classic movies to feature bankable stars and receive mass marketing efforts – with a few indie films occasionally falling through the cracks. Despite this, the astronomical success of last year’s film has sealed our fate, condemning us to an eternity of kid-friendly intellectual property exploitation, with a plethora of merchandise allegedly forthcoming.
While investing in blockbuster films may have its allure, it’s far from a guaranteed success story. As production costs skyrocket, studios’ expectations for blockbuster hits have reached stratospheric levels. The proliferation of streaming platforms has precipitated a “feast-or-famine panorama” in which movies face either “gargantuan success or colossal failure”.
According to Beaupre, studios are compelled to invest $200 million in a film with the goal of creating a massive, crowd-pleasing hit. They generate revenue solely to reach a milestone of $500 million or more, thereby achieving a significant financial goal. Unless it’s handled with utmost care, in any other case it’s a catastrophe.
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While middlebrow films may still linger in public consciousness, their diminished commercial impact is largely attributed to changes in theatrical distribution and promotional strategies. Most films released directly onto streaming platforms receive minimal marketing efforts, leaving them largely unpublicized and often forgotten. In the late 2010s, Netflix seized the opportunity to fill a significant gap in the romantic comedy genre, producing numerous films targeting teenagers. Streaming platforms like Hulu, Prime Video, and Max have become go-to destinations for discovering a vast array of romance films, family comedies, and indie movies – if you can only find them in the first place.
This past year, several “middlebrow” films that would have commanded a theatrical release in the past were instead hastily dumped onto streamers, including Apple TV+’s , starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, as well as Glen Powell’s car-driven The latter film’s hasty arrival on Netflix, following a brief theatrical run, was especially perplexing, given the box-office success of Powell’s earlier movie in 2023. Solely, the studio’s romantic comedy, produced for $25 million, surpassed $200 million globally, demonstrating that bankable stars can still motivate audiences to visit cinemas.
“execution was spot on,” Walsh notes. “I observed a packed theatre in Los Angeles, where I noticed a predominantly middle-aged audience.” His friend observed, “This actually has the look of a real movie.”
The muted reception surrounding Clint Eastwood’s latest film has sparked a lively online debate, with both critics and enthusiasts weighing in on its merits. Eastwood’s 40th film received a restricted release on November 2, as reported by Variety. According to sources familiar with the matter, the information in question emerged during the Christmas holiday period.
“One perfect example is a movie that could potentially gross $100 million at the box office,” suggests Beaupre. Despite whatever motivation may have driven them, Discovery CEO David Zaslav has decided that. While even stalwart stars like Clint Eastwood have enjoyed the success of three out of their last six films reaching global box office milestones of $100 million or more, they are not willing to sacrifice their creative control and artistic freedom by aligning themselves with major film studios.
Despite their humble origins, middlebrow films have a knack for becoming cultural touchstones when they linger in cinemas long enough to develop a sense of occasion. Over the past year, Euphoria’s critically acclaimed second season has paid tribute to the classic, well-crafted storytelling of mid-sized films, elevated by the undeniable charm and talent of its lead actress, Zendaya. While the film boasted innovative elements and unconventional themes not typically found in mainstream cinema, its popularity surged as viral memes spread, garnering widespread recommendations from enthusiastic viewers.
“When I returned to the theater, it was bustling with more people than before,” Beaupre notes. “The film’s massive word-of-mouth buzz drew in packed theatres a full month after its initial release.”
Despite the proliferation of streaming services and ever-changing viewer habits, the appetite for original or innovative films that adults can enjoy and discuss with others remains remarkably consistent. Regardless of whether audiences praised or panned its conclusion, the finale of the film undoubtedly left viewers with something to discuss and debate among themselves. As extensive advertising efforts and strategic partnerships pay off, it’s heartening to witness audiences organically championing the merits of in a grassroots manner. It appears to be working additionally. While the film’s impact has barely been felt, its success is undeniable, despite a relatively modest opening.
“There’s undeniably a desire to gather with others, experience the thrill of a big screen, and be swept up in a collective cinematic atmosphere,” Walsh notes. While people may initially enjoy a film without needing to deliberate afterwards, I firmly believe that audiences should be encouraged to engage critically with the content.
As Hollywood’s relentless pursuit of franchises shows no signs of abating, a glimmer of optimism emerges: perhaps the industry will eventually yield to the desires of its audience. Like blockbuster films, which momentarily lost their luster at the end of the 1980s, this moment could be a turning point rather than an inevitability.
As filmmakers face a dearth of viable options for creating mid-budget movies, stress levels have reached an all-time high. During last year’s Academy Awards ceremony, acclaimed author and director Barry Jenkins suggested to Hollywood executives that they invest in “20 $10 million films” rather than one “$200 million movie,” which elicited thunderous applause from the audience. What’s the big deal with that math problem?
