Have you walked out of a movie lately and thought to yourself, haven't I seen this before? Lately I have been pondering this when viewing movies in the theatre or at home. This constant wonder has spurred me into searching for new and original movies to watch. During this quest to find original films, I have come across a number of movie gems, but unfortunately they are buried beneath hours of movies that are either a remake of some film or the next superhero movie.
After viewing two phases of Marvel superhero movies and a lackluster DC movies, I have started to almost disdain the superhero movie genre and have lost a majority of my excitement for any upcoming superhero movies other than "Doctor Strange," because who doesn't enjoy Benedict Cumberbatch?
This lack of originality is not just a superhero film issue, but rather it extends to all genres of film. I cannot remember the last time I walked out of a movie and felt surprised. Sure, I enjoy plenty of films and even re-watch plenty when they come out on DVD, but this does not mean my desire for original film fades into nothingness.
Perhaps the root of the problem in modern film is the same as in many other areas of life and that is money. Studios will continue to churn out endless amounts of remakes and sequels, due to the fact those types of films are mass appealing and of course will garner more money.
Since I cannot tell people how to spend their money, I will instead recommend two things to those moviegoers that are getting tired of mainstream cinema.
First of all, I would recommend checking out independent films and/or films that didn't necessarily "rock it" at the box office. Too often movies are overlooked because of their performance at the box office; in turn people are likely to correlate box office earnings with the quality of the film.
A great independent film I would recommend to anyone is "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, this film is a 2004 American romantic science-fiction comedy-drama film about an estranged couple who have begun a process to erase each other from their memories. This film is honestly one of the best when it comes to depicting heartbreak and gives a unique insight into relationships.
The second piece of advice I would give moviegoers is, if you are tired of mainstream cinema, go check out some Netflix original content. Of course Hulu and various other streaming services also have some exclusive original content but seeing as I only have Netflix, Netflix is the only service whose exclusive content I can speak for. The Marvel series thus far released on Netflix are amazing in that they are far more gritty than the sometimes overwhelming campy Marvel movies. I would also recommend the Netflix original film, "The Fundamentals Of Caring," starring Paul Rudd. I do not want to give away too much about this film other than it will pull at your heart strings.
I have loved films my entire life and have enjoyed a few of the Marvel movies, but today, I seem to appreciate less mainstream cinema. I think everyone else would too, if they gave independent films a chance.
