With September well and away, it's officially time to bid farewell to the summer movie season. While there was plenty of fun to be had in a variety of genres, it's hard to deny that the overall product has been a bit of a mixed bag. For every record breaker and smash success, there was a box office bomb just behind the corner. Some of these were studio stinkers whose failures could've been smelled miles away (i.e. Borderlands), while others were genuinely shocking. After all, if there's one thing summer movies weren't this year, it's consistent.
Still, there have been many memorable summer flicks that were genuinely enjoyable. These films offered fun experiences and included everything from mutants and emotions to aliens and twisters. Their overall quality is up for debate, but it's clear that cinemagoers found plenty to enjoy.
But for us cinephiles, what do we walk away with from this summer season? Well, there are plenty of takeaways about current film especially regarding trends that are flourishing, trends that aren't, and where cinema seems to be headed. So sit back and relax one last time as we reflect on the summer by reading these ten lessons that we learned from the summer box office.
10. Sequels and Reboots Still Rule
The most obvious takeaway from the season has been discernable for quite some time: sequels and reboots are everything these days. While we collectively seem to be exasperated by these rehashings, it's clear that they're here to stay. Nine of the ten highest grossing films from the summer were reboots or sequels with only It Ends With Us being an original story.
For many, this is a tough pill to swallow as they crave new stories instead of nostalgia based films and continuations of previous franchises. It's also a trend that Hollywood won't surrender anytime soon, as sequels have proven to be a safe investment for studios with little risk. Many of the summer's box office bombs like Borderlands, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and Horizon tried and failed to start new franchises, so safety net films must seem increasingly appealing to studios.
I don't expect this trend to subside anytime soon, but that isn't an inherently awful fate. Strong blockbusters ensure that studios can survive and make other more original content to push out for awards season. Plus, sequels and reboots have kept the summer light with healthy doses of fun that are hard to not enjoy.
9. Disney is BACK
While many studios might have stumbled through 2024, Disney certainly wasn't one of them. The House of Mouse desperately needed a win after last year's startling misfires, which saw reliable properties like Indiana Jones and Marvel struggle mightily.
However, any doubt over whether Disney can provide reliable entertainment anymore subsided quickly thanks to the two biggest movies of the year, Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine. Both films not only broke the billion dollar mark, but the former became the highest grossing animated movie of all time, while the latter became the highest grossing R rated film ever.
Neither was a perfect film, but both still managed to earn rave reviews from audiences and critics alike, showing that Disney still knows how to win over a crowd. Throw in the well received new installments in the Alien and Planet of the Apes franchises, and it's clear that Disney is back on top with an ever growing toy chest of IP to choose from.
8. Animated Movies are Well and Alive
Although Inside Out 2 garnered much of the headlines this year, it wasn't just Disney that found success with animation. Elsewhere, Illumination released the immensely popular Despicable Me 4, the third highest grossing movie of the year, while Sony's The Garfield Movie overcame bad reviews to take a decent bite out of the box office. Once you factor in DreamWorks' successful fourth Kung Fu Panda film that came out before summer, it becomes clear that animation is thriving on the silver screen.
These box office results are nothing but comforting, especially after last year saw nearly every major animation studio release box office duds. Many were beginning to even question whether the animated genre still had a footing in a market that's so streaming driven these days.
Yet, the medium that has truly blossomed over the past thirty years has shown there's still plenty of profits to be had on the big screen. With crowd pleasing stories and fun characters, this year's animated features played to their strengths and were rewarded greatly. Plus, with The Wild Robot, Moana 2 , and Piece by Piece on the way, animation seems to be in a much better position than it was a year ago.
7. Social Media Provides a Crucial Assist
While this will likely be a shock to no one, it's undeniable how influential social media remains in 2024. Very few facets of life sit unaffected by the buzz of the social world, and the movies are no exception. Sure, movies have always had to deal with marketing, but the very fickle world of the internet is an entirely new behemoth to deal with.
This year, however, social media seems to have boosted film popularity, as several major blockbusters left a digital footprint. For instance, Inside Out 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Despicable Me 4, and Twisters all seemed to generate swarms of memes, content, and general excitement online. In other words, these were films people talked about for one reason or another, so you simply had to see them.
Still, no film seemed to gain more from social media than It Ends With Us, the romance drama starring Blake Lively. Despite mixed reviews, a low budget, and no IP presence, the film has made over 300 million dollars thanks to its exposure across the web.
Even after backlash began to flow in for its misleading campaign and on set feuds, it still powered ahead, becoming one of the summer's biggest hits. It's unlikely that every film will be able to have similar success, but the social media market cannot be ignored if a film wants to succeed.
6. A Good Soundtrack Goes a Long Way
Movies and music have gone hand in hand ever since Hollywood first figured out how to add sound to film. As such, really nailing a film's soundtrack can enhance the viewing experience, as well as the overall success of a film. Even though this wasn't the best year for music in movies, many of these summer flicks capitalized on innovative soundtracks.
The most obvious example is Deadpool and Wolverine, whose soundtrack featured hits from NSYNC, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Madonna. By pairing light pop tracks with excessive cartoonish violence, the Marvel film cemented itself as the party of the summer.
Elsewhere, Twisters utilized an all country soundtrack that evoked both the setting and lightheartedness of its story. Bad Boys: Ride or Die also went big with a loud soundtrack fit for a Miami party. Then there was Despicable Me 4, whose "Double Life" by Pharrell Williams has been playing nonstop online.
What all these films have in common is that they were able to amplify their fun with some great tunes. While it didn't work everywhere (sorry The Fall Guy), having a good soundtrack went a long way in creating memorable theater experiences this summer.
5. The R-Rating Has a Bright Future
Another genre that seemed to have a resurgence this summer was the often risky R-rated film. Since a mature rating inherently limits the audience a film can gather, most studios avoid it, especially when crafting a blockbuster. This year though, that proved to be the opposite.
Of course, Deadpool and Wolverine carried the R-rating to new heights, breaking Joker's all time box office record for an R-rated film. While the Marvel name and familiar faces likely aided its box office total, the film made the most of its rating by including graphic violence and harsh language, which audiences clearly ate up.
Marvel's gamble paid off, but they weren't the only ones to succeed with an R-rating. In Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Sony let Will Smith and Martin Lawrence continue their foul mouthed quest for justice with explosive violence only an R-rating could bring. In a different direction, Fox let Alien: Romulus indulge in disturbing imagery and gruesome kills to create the scariest and best Alien film this side of the 80's.
With R-rated films proving to be big hits this summer, it's clear that studios will allow films to better utilize the mature banner. In fact, this summer's biggest bomb, Borderlands, opted out of an R rating for a PG-13 one during production, leading to a watered down product that left theaters only a few weeks after debuting. If there's one lesson to be learned for studios, it's to sit out, let the risks be taken, and reap the rewards.
4. Not Every Film Finds a Footing
Unfortunately, every summer season sees some failures at the theater. Even the best of box office years has to have some losers, and 2024 was no exception.
Many films were flat out duds as soon as they landed, such as Borderlands, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and the plethora of indistinguishable horror movies that seemed to release weekly. For the most part, these films were ripped apart by critics before proving to be equally disfavored by the audiences as well. In other words, they were complete misfires from start to finish.
On a more surprising note though, several films failed to establish a footing at the box office despite earning rave critical approval. Early in the summer, both The Fall Guy and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga earned stellar reviews for their scale, storytelling, and production value before failing to make much of a dent in the box office. Then Fly Me To The Moon and The Bikeriders both failed to make a profit, despite their respected reviews.
If there was any true concerns to come from this summer season, it's that several well crafted films outright failed to connect with audiences. Of course, there could be numerous reasons why a movie might fail, such as marketing and timing, so audiences aren't all to blame. Still, it's hard not to feel at least a little cynical when some of the year's best movies make little to no dent at all.
3. There's No Best Picture Winner in Sight
For the majority of the past few decades, films that have won Oscars and other awards have remained mutually exclusive from the summer blockbusters. Of course, there's sometime been some overlap, but blockbusters have usually been relegated to technical categories or nominations only.
Of course, this trend was completely bucked last year when both Oppenheimer and Barbie released on the same weekend, sparking an awards race that couldn't get enough of either film. This ultimately culminated with Oppenheimer becoming the first blockbuster to nab the Best Picture Oscar since 2004, an honor it rightfully deserved.
However, the odds of any summer blockbuster repeating that success this year are slim to none. While many of this year's biggest blockbusters have pleased critics, few have generated enough awards buzz to make a serious push. If any summer film could, it'd likely be Inside Out 2, but it's far more likely that'll only win a Best Animated Feature award (if that).
Still, that doesn't necessarily mean that we had a bevy of bad films released. Instead, the summer blockbusters returned to their usual form of crowd-pleasing action and franchises that the Oscars don't familiarize with. Whichever you prefer though, it's clear that the divide between the summer and awards season is greater than ever.
2. This Summer is Probably an Overall Step Down from Last Year
Although there have been plenty of fun films released, it's hard not to feel that this summer has been a step backwards from last year's. Most notably, no film has been able to replicate the hype of the Barbenheimer craze. Even if you don't care about awards season, the originality both films brought to a box office full of sequels was refreshing.
In contrast, this summer has been mostly retreading old properties and franchises. Original ideas have mostly sputtered, while Hollywood continues to give us more of the same. They've haven't done an awful job, as many of these sequels have been great, but they are still sequels.
It's not necessarily surprising that trends have turned this way, but it's definitely disappointing that Hollywood didn't learn from the Barbenheimer phenomenon. Originality, even if applied to preexisting franchises, can lead to phenomenal stories that can be successful. Barbie and Oppenheimer don't have to be outliers if they bring the same creative drive as Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan did.
Alas though, here we are with a summer season more average than anything. Perhaps some of the bigger bombs will encourage studios to reshape their approach to filmmaking and we can get some truly wonderous blockbusters again.
1. Despite Everything, Cinema Is Alive and Well
While the last few takeaways might make it seem like cinema is in a doomed state, that's really not the case. Despite a slew of sequels with no real Oscar contenders, cinema is alive, well, and perhaps even thriving.
Sure, we mostly received basic blockbusters this summer, but some of them proved to be huge hits. What behemoths like Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine showed is that audiences are still willing to go to cinemas repeatedly for something worth seeing. That something might not be prestigious, but it's still an encapsulating event that must be experienced in theaters. Other blockbusters expressed this too, as audiences jumped at the chance to enjoy the immersive stories of Twisters and Alien: Romulus in theaters.
The blockbuster genre, while not the most complex or cerebral, has brought people back to cinemas and kept them alive. It's certainly harder for smaller original films to thrive these days, but the tentpole features have given them a chance just by keeping theaters steady. Plus, this summer's selection has reinvigorated animated and R-Rated films, offering variety we had lost for years.
Even if this year's blockbusters weren't anything special, they connected with audiences, providing escape from daily life and leaving special associations for the people who saw them. For a summer full of misfires and must see films, resurging brands and welcomed sequels, the outlook for cinema is far brighter now than it was four years ago.
