Did 2023 Revive Cinema?
By Mike Degen
Many critics claimed cinema was dead. Between the pandemic and the rise of streaming platforms, movie theaters have had several rough years. According to CNN, in 2022, thirty percent fewer people went to the movies than in 2019. Several movie theater companies, including AMC, flirted with bankruptcy. Yet in 2023, the movies came roaring back.
Much of this can be attributed to Barbenheimer. On July 21st, 2023, two films were released simultaneously. The event was marketed well on social media, and thousands flocked to the theaters. The two movies were Barbie, a fantasy-comedy about the popular doll, and Oppenheimer, a biopic about the infamous physicist who led the Manhattan Project and helped create the atomic bomb.
The movies exceeded expectations, at least from a financial perspective. Barbie became the first female-directed film (Greta Gerwig) to bring in $1B in ticket sales (almost one billion and a half). Oppenheimer also brought in nearly $960 million. Incredible performances by Margot Robbie (as Barbie) and Cillian Murphy (as Robert Oppenheimer) drew audiences worldwide. The films, nominated for a combined twenty-one Oscars (not to mention the number of awards they’ve already received from critics’ groups and other awards bodies), got people excited about the movies again. However, they were not the only films to come out this year, various other films brought troves of people to the movies.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie brought in $1.3B in revenue, just behind Barbie. The beloved video game character attracted audiences of all ages. Other familiar favorites such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3 ($845M), Fast X ($714M), and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ($690M) paced box office sales. While these films were the highest-grossing, other films less focused on commercial aspects also garnered attention. Here’s some to check out if you’re interested in cinema.
If you’re interested in video games, Five Nights at Freddy’s proved popular among students at Fairbanks.
If you’re a romantic, you might want to check out Past Lives, the story of two childhood best friends reunited years later.
If you’re interested in biographies, check out Napoleon, Maestro, Rustin, or Priscilla.
If you enjoy comedies, you may enjoy Poor Things, The Holdovers, Saltburn, or Dream Scenario.
You don’t need to head to the movie theater to see many of these films, as they can be found on streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu.
Another resource available to University of Alaska Fairbanks students is Kanopy, which has thousands of free movies with your UA login. Head to the library’s database page, search for Kanopy and log on to access these for free.
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/29/media/movie-box-office-year/index.html
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_in_film