1. en-ashram-N/G
2. 10-09-2025
4. Tweet

In pursuit of killing the boredom that plagued me this past summer, I spent a lot of time watching movies, particularly at the theatres. Now I, like a lot of people, am stingy about the films I watch at the theatres because of the rising costs of everything, including movie tickets. I often go to see movies I had been long anticipating, those that are getting a lot of buzz, or I visit my local arthouse theatre to watch older films that are never shown at multiplexes. This summer, I was a bit more lenient with my spending and decided to escape the dreadful heat by watching anything that I thought looked interesting. Out of the new films, they were most remakes and sequels, however it felt like there weren’t many choices outside of that regardless. Hollywood’s got a case of nostalgia and no one is safe! 

This past summer, the theatres have seen releases like another Karate Kid movie, yet another Jurassic Park, a second Happy Gilmore, a Naked Gun reboot and a film directly targeted at me, Freakier Friday. I say the latter is directed at me because Freaky Friday (2003) was my favourite movie as a kid. It was so much my favourite movie that I dragged my parents to HMV so we could buy the DVD (which they unfortunately did not have). Though I did not understand the film at the time, I rewatched it when I got older and although there are some questionable plot points, it still remains a solid Disney film. Similar to High School Musical (2006) or Camp Rock (2008), Freaky Friday became a cult classic for a new generation of kids and teenagers. Unlike the other films, this one had edge, an angsty teenager in a rock band refusing to grow up and wishing her mother would just let her be. It was so different from the other films I watched that even my six-year-old brain could tell that it was something special. But just because something is good, does that mean it has to be exploited? Human nature says yes, and studios seem to agree. 

After watching the film, I realized how hooked on nostalgia we’ve been since the pandemic. In a time where we looked for comfort or some sense of normalcy, we allowed the wave of nostalgia to take over and turn into a full-blown tsunami. I don’t think it would be shocking to say that Freakier Friday was not very good, nor did I expect it to be. I was mostly curious to know what they would do with the characters, if they could really create a new story twenty-two years later. When I came out of the theatre, I heard someone exclaim, “That was really good!” Though I don’t want to be the person who knocks how someone feels about a film, it just left me wondering what makes a film good anymore. 

We are in an age where we are all told what to think, what to feel, what to write, what to enjoy. Studios market these remakes or sequels because they are based on something we already love and they know people will always want more. But they are just doing it as a cash grab. Where are the risks of a film that they know audiences will love? The same studios that put out classics are now feeding us these films that are just okay. This is not to say every sequel is bad, but not every film requires a sequel or remake. Imagine if there was a film sequel to a movie like The Breakfast Club (1985). There is no way to continue a story like that, nor is it possible to recreate it in 2025. It would be made in poor taste and many would dislike it because the original should have been left alone in the first place. 

As moviegoers, we should demand for something new, something more innovative that reaches the mass market. Not everyone is going to be interested in the new Aronofsky or Paul Thomas Anderson film and that’s okay! There should be movies out there that aren’t just for those into film. There should be films for the new generation of teenagers to which they can actually relate. There should be more mid-budget films, more original ideas, and good quality storytelling. A film shouldn’t just be “good,” it should resonate in some way, certain scenes should stick, jokes should be remembered! There are so many components that differentiate a film from being “good” and becoming a favourite and I think there should be new favourites that don’t just play on nostalgia. I like to think of the current television landscape in this situation. There are so many new and interesting concepts breaking out into TV and the line between cinema and TV has never been finer. Many good quality stories are being told on TV currently and have garnered a lot of attention from the mass market. These shows prove that it is possible to create something new and original that people will love, there just needs to be more higher ups who believe in it.

Like I mentioned, I watched a few films at an arthouse theatre that played older films from the Golden Age of Hollywood. One of my favourites, Funny Face (1957), was playing and I decided to see it on the big screen. As I watched, I realized that a film like that will never exist again, but there is nothing wrong with that. There may never be another Audrey Hepburn or Fred Astaire, but there doesn’t need to be. Funny Face 2 would never work. What we need is some originality, some risks, something different that challenges our thinking. It’s so easy to get lost in the world today, to let social media or the news or online discourse dictate the way films are watched. I think moviegoers are better than that. Eventually people will realize that there is better out there, even if it isn’t currently mainstream. I know for sure that there are future filmmakers out there patiently waiting to put out their next big new idea, and I feel excited for that. 

I know this summer didn’t have a big movie like last year’s Challengers. I know the market is saturated with everything other than original ideas but there are movies being made that have authentic storytelling and are pleasing to watch. I know going to the movies is more expensive than ever, but if you ever happen to be going and are able to take a risk, I suggest trying something you’d never watch (and if you really don’t want to spend a lot, go on the cheaper day). Even if you end up hating it, at least you tried watching something original and you could see the hard work the filmmaker and crew put into making something different. It’s easy to be caught up in nostalgia, even I have been a constant victim of it. However, it feels so much better discovering something new and loving it. We don’t have to live under this curse, but it is up to us, the movie lovers, to break it.

Ila Nabi
Boston, MA

1. en-ashram-N/G
2. 10-09-2025
4. Tweet