As the film award season comes to an end, many critics and audiences alike have pointed to a recurring theme, a noticeable decline in the quality and originality of movies. This decline is the result of various factors.
First, the decline of movie theatres. With fewer tickets sold, more and more have been forced to close. In 2024, the film industry faced a significant fall in movie ticket sales, with just 817.9 million tickets sold. Despite the millions that is a steep 34% drop from the 1.225 billion tickets sold in 2019.
Director of Best Picture winner Anora Sean Baker addressed this issue in his Oscar acceptance speech: “Movie theaters, especially independently-owned theaters, are struggling, and it’s up to us to support them. During the pandemic, we lost nearly 1,000 screens in the US. And we continue to lose them regularly. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry. Filmmakers keep making films for the big screen. I know I will.”
The decline of movies continues its influence on audience engagement. Only half of Loyola students surveyed have seen any of the 2024/2025 Oscar-nominated films. Of those who had seen a nominated film, that movie was Wicked.
Students claimed that although somewhat unoriginal, Wicked was the only plot that stuck out to them. Loyola sophomores described this year’s Oscar nominated films as “ Unappealing,” “Wrong target audience for younger generations,” and “ morbidly serious.”
Could these opinions be valid or is it yet another result of the film industry’s decline? If younger generations were more exposed to film would they be less intimidated by dramas such as Conclave or Nickle Boys?
Wicked is just one of many films that exemplifies the decline of original storytelling in Hollywood. Beyond its success, it’s important to recognize the growing dependence on sequels and remakes as Wicked is simply a retelling of a Broadway hit. Some major examples of this trend are major releases like the Oscar-nominated Gladiator 2 and Dune: Part Two.
Disney and Marvel, once seen as leaders in entertainment now churn out the same reused stories. This trend began years back when Disney began their endless cycle of live-action remakes, which continues with the newest Snow White coming this month. That is the second major release for Disney this month, next to Marvel’s newest installment, sequel Captain America: Brave New World. Although currently at the top of the 2025 worldwide box office, Brave New World was a disappointment overall. Despite receiving 48% rotten tomatoes, this sequel somehow made it to #1 in the worldwide box office, dramatically revealing our lowered standards of what a true film is.
These declines feel especially disappointing as we watch franchises built by visionaries crumble. Amazing minds such as Stan Lee or Walt Disney are needed to bring life back into film. Despite having influences from past fairy tales, Walt Disney created countless hits that were meaningful, yet simple. He was also able to create purely original ideas and bring them to life such as his hit film Fantasia.
Maybe it is this kind of film that the previously quoted Loyola sophomores miss, movies creative enough to spread a message without overwhelming audiences. Mostly I think Walt would be disappointed by the decline of theatres, as that is where his many hits premiered and took life.
Maybe it’s time to look past major studios and give recognition to film makers who keep originality alive. Some of these visionaries include Christopher Nolan and Jordan Peele. Both have consistently released original films with Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Tenet and Peele’s Nope and Us, proving that bold storytelling still has a place in modern film.
After all, the film industry may be declining but it is far from dead. As viewers, it is our job to acknowledge and support independent, creative, and original films—the ones that truly capture the magic of film.
