As 2024 draws to a close Hollywood anticipates its annual end-of-year ritual of box office tallies and critic generated top ten lists. The 2024 totals domestic box office earnings look to be around 8 billion slightly lower from 2023's 9 billion while the National Association of Theatre Owners acknowledges that number as encouraging demonstrating returning audience interest for the moviegoing experience despite less output. Movie release slates decreased due to labor strikes during the year but a general recovery from COVID closures provided positive perspective on how film viewership might look.
Box Office Analysis Reveals Predominance of Sequels Remakes and Prequels While Comic Book Adaptations Stumble
2024 movie theater attendance favored pre-established franchises with all of the top ten highest grossing movies of the year including sequels remakes like the oddly listed Twisters or various prequels including Moana 2 Kung Fu Panda 4 and Joker Folie à Deux also Gladiator II . Cinematic universes for both Marvel and DC as well as Star Wars saw a dip in attendance this year except for Deadpool & Wolverine. The box office totals overall have continued to show more public interest toward brand familiar productions over completely unique story productions.
Distracting Technology and Declining Moviegoer Etiquette Undermines Theatre Experience
Despite positive box office numbers 2024 moviegoer behavior has been marked by increases in smaller screen interruptions such as texting phone use and screen recording. Regular moviegoers and the writer has also observed this behavioral shift has created difficulties for many hoping to properly watch and enjoy movies. The movie going experience during the year continues to receive negative feedback for various disruptive tendencies.
Historical Parallels Highlight Decline in Theater Etiquette from Early Moviegoing Experiences
Early theaters implemented rules as a form of managing audience decorum including requests that women take off their hats and that men refrain from spitting tobacco at nickelodeons with rules to better overall movie watching. Through classical Hollywood crowds might have been more vocal showing strong emotional support for the film that is shown by yelling clapping and booing during dramatic parts however these were collectively felt and experienced. Trade press publications such as the Motion Picture Herald from the time worked to address behavior and promoted creating positive theater experiences in contrast to today’s challenges.
Uniformed ushers worked during early movie productions during classical Hollywood to guide seat finding plus handle problems arising among patrons. These positions required that ushers handle disruptive customers report troublemakers but maintain strict politeness. Teenagers in 1950s assisted with managers promoting movie etiquette and overall manners stating movie manners apply to all.
Limited Options and Frustrations Exhibitors Face While Addressing Decreased Movie Etiquette
Many theaters implement pre-movie PSAs requesting phones to be silenced during movies though compliance remains low and hard to implement. Exhibitors see their choices are severely limited when addressing these issues however studios attempted to find ways to address phone use with Deadpool & Wolverine who tried to add humor to PSA while reminding viewers to put phones away while watching movie. No critics ever use phones or computers to do notes from within theater itself as is common in other types of popular venues where the device usage is an expected activity of patrons.
Early Origins of the Top Ten List in Film Critiques by Organizations and Newspapers
Film criticism that includes Top Ten lists can be traced back to 1920 by the National Board of Review formed in 1909 who selected a list of ‘exceptional’ films where they would select the very ‘best bets’ of the month. Reginald Barker's film Godless Men was the first to be given such an honour as the very first on that specific list that was published to the wider public audiences. The Film Daily paper also created lists beginning in 1921 by using various outside reviewers that totaled to be approximately 400 which culminated to having the highest rated show on front pages of their publications. Lewis Milestone's anti-war classic All Quiet on the Western Front claimed top position during 1930 year list creating huge popularity for that specific title.
The New York Times and Metropolitan Critics Shape Year-End Top Ten Traditions
New York Times film critic Mordaunt Hall culled through more than 200 films during 1923 which created his first listing of top films with titles such as Charles Chaplin’s A Woman of Paris and Thomas Ince’s production Anna Christie. Local film critics within metropolitan areas soon followed these types of lists with their own versions for news publications that gave readers more perspective on film. In 1930 New York Evening World’s critic George Gerhard also showed his interest in the film listing tradition . During 1935 David O. Selznick showed public support stating his production ambitions to create films appearing within such ‘Ten Best’ film titles.
Top Ten Lists Drive Awareness But Can Create Divide Between Critics and Regular Audiences
Studios began paying close attention and promoting titles in top ten film lists which in turn gave opportunities to studios to push their projects into public sphere. Critically acclaimed films now accrue higher public and investor interest when such awards and list rankings are promoted. The critic’s movie choices usually differs greatly with the selections that the general public chooses which continues to create tension between both worlds with a key film such as The Best Years of Our Lives from 1946 showing success across all categories both publicly and critically while other recent title like Saving Private Ryan did the same in 1998 and then Oppenheimer did again in 2023. Only Wicked and A Complete Unknown have been able to successfully find popular success plus wide critical success which makes these projects truly exceptional within overall movie industries trends of 2024.
2024 Critically Acclaimed Films and Underrepresented Horror and Documentaries are Discussed
Critically lauded 2024 films consist of titles Emilia Pérez plus Conclave that have transgender theme. Additionally many also pointed out fantasy themed movies like Anora and The Substance that explore the body in new and often dark ways. A teen horror niche genre included dynamic performance with female leads like Cuckoo and Longlegs as well as Naomi Scott in Smile 2 plus Mia Goth’s Maxxxine showing different sides of teen driven horrors. Documentaries with the singular exception of Matt Walsh’s Am I Racist that explored the effects of DEI also saw little theatre time . Elite and popular preferences are usually different and there is a growing concern over the gap of cultural relevance of Hollywood films as they approach 2025 . The way 2025 turns out will hinge greatly on the culture the world continues to create while movies seek connection to a changing social climate.