Originality and the Fight against the Franchise.

Thanks to Mina who posed this question in the comments of ‘My Star Wars‘.

Cinema was built on stories from brilliant minds, creativity ruled the roost. The classics from the mid 1900s are now widely regarded as the golden age of cinema. However the 21st Century has brought about an immense rise in franchise films. Marvel, DC, Star Wars lead the way. The Transformers franchise, although critically panned continued to make an obscene amount of money. How can we forget the success of the Fast and Furious franchise spanning 8 films with others in the works. Harry Potter and the wizarding world captured people’s imaginations and took over a generation. These franchise films have taken over the face of cinema today however there are still gems hidden away which are a must watch.

In only 3 out of the last 20 years has an original film been the highest grossing worldwide: 1998 Armageddon, 2009 Avatar and 2013 Frozen. Is this a major issue? Well yes, although the huge franchise films have massive audiences these originals can showcase individual talent and provide a base for a successful filmmaker, it may give an unknown actor the chance to stake a claim in the business. Blockbuster films, with their reputation and large budgets run major risks in doing these and usually go for the safe options. In recent times however there has been a shift away from franchises, many of them have begun to fall flat in terms of quality and audiences are seeking out different options to spend their money on. Although smaller adaptations such as Crazy Rich Asians have garnered some success they too get drowned out in a landscape dominated by the big blockbusters. I believe we can hold production studios accountable more than the audience for the lack of original films. It is on them and their marketing teams to ensure these films are made more aware to the public. It is tough however, money talks and you can’t blame the studios for focusing on their cash cows.

There are some things which I believe can help push forward original films and help them gain larger attention. Diversity; creating diverse stories with a range of characters allows for greater representation on the big screen. This way you grab the attention of more people. Minorities will come out to support their own people. Look at the success of Black Panther or Crazy Rich Asians. Representation is key to pushing forward the industry, you can inspire more people to tell their own original stories. The Media; there should be greater pressure on the media outlets to showcase original films, how about starting a channel on Sky Movies dedicated to original screenplay films. Pretty much everybody has access to Netflix or a streaming service. Why not seek out the original content they produce, you will help out the creators and maybe you will find a film that moved you. If so, share your feelings about it; the more eyes on these films the better it is for them. Original films are desperate for viewers and people who champion them. This in turn helps aspiring filmmakers, like myself, who start off making short films or independents.

This is just a short piece, I didn’t want to make an essay on the topic but simply draw people’s attention to the great films out there that you may not have heard of. Below I’ll leave a list of smaller films, you must see, from the past few years.

• A Quiet Place – A masterpiece from John Krasinski and a brilliant performance by Emily Blunt make this tense thriller a must watch. 
• Annihilation – On Netflix, it follows a group scientists who enter a quarantined zone full of mystery. With a thought-provoking ending its lining up to be a favourite of mine this year.
• Arrival – An alien ‘invasion’ film with an interesting take. Denis Villeneuve is a special filmmaker.
• Baby Driver – This film is incredible. Do yourself a favour and watch this.
• BlacKkKlansman – Having won awards at the Cannes festival, this is a film you won’t want to miss, an hard-hitting story which deserves an audience.
• Detroit – Based off a true story, it’s a well done film all round.
• Edge of Tomorrow – It’s just really well done, another alien based film but with a great story.
• Ex Machina – One of my favourites from recent years, a small-scale story with scary consequences.
• Get Out – You’ve seen this.
• Hacksaw Ridge – One of the best wartime films of recent time.
• Hell or High Water – Taylor Sheridan enough said, should have had more awards recognition.
• Hereditary – A difficult film to watch but in a good way. Watch it during the day.
• I, Tonya – A criminally underrated film with an incredible performance from Margot Robbie.
• Kubo and the Two Strings – Something different, a stop-motion film with a deep story.
• Moonlight – Deserved the Best Picture award.
• Nightcrawler – Something I just only recently got around to but glad I did.
• The Big Short – Based on the financial crisis of 07-08 it’s storytelling at its best.
• The Nice Guys – Another low-key film in recent times. Dark-comedy, definitely enjoyable.
• The Lobster – Maybe one of the weirdest films you’ll see but it’s brilliant.
• The Lost City of Z – I don’t think many people have heard of this but I enjoyed it.
• The Shape of Water – It won all those awards for a reason.
• Sicario – Denis Villeneuve again. A modern classic.
• Silence – It’s long but beautifully made. Visually stunning and the performances are top class.
• Spotlight – Best Picture winner for a reason.
• Unsane – Although it has mixed reviews, the fact the whole film was shot on an iPhone 7 makes it an interesting and ground breaking part of modern cinema.
• Wind River – From one of my favourite writers, Taylor Sheridan, it’s a beautifully shot film with a tense story.

 

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