Sean Baker is a true indie filmmaker. His films, though generally acclaimed by critics and received well by audiences, are not easy to sell. Often, they feature untrained actors or actors who aren’t household names. And they almost always feature complex characters and unsavory situations. His films are about as opposite as you can get from the blockbusters of today. And Baker wishes more films like his were released in theaters nowadays.
Speaking to the AP, Sean Baker talked about the lack of “mature films for adults” in today’s film industry. He points out how many of the films that get released in theaters are superhero movies, films with explosions, or low-budget horror. He wants more films like “Kramer vs. Kramer.”
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“Where are the mature films for adults that had human stories, that didn’t have to have explosions or didn’t have to have superheroes or are horror-based? Where are those?” asked Baker. “They don’t exist, unfortunately, or they’re very few and far between. And it’s like, let’s get the audience to remember that that stuff is just as worthy of being on the big screen as the big tentpole films, the big blockbusters.”
While he’s not wrong that films like that aren’t topping the charts at the box office, they do still exist. But with the advent of streaming services, a lot of those mature dramas are being sent straight to streaming. Or there are those films that are being reworked into prestige dramas and limited series that also get sent to streaming.
And let’s be real, Sean Baker can continue to release his films in theaters because they are cheap to produce and get good reviews. They don’t have to debut at #1 to be deemed a success. Sadly, there’s just no way that something like “Anora,” which will likely be nominated for a ton of awards, will dominate the box office.
The truth is people are being trained to wait for streaming for those types of films. There’s no incentive to seeing it on the big screen, other than actually seeing it on a big screen. For many, they know the film will show up on VOD or streaming sooner than later, and they can wait to watch it until then.
All that to say, there is a lack of “mature films for adults” in theaters. However, it’s not only studios who are to blame, but it’s also the way viewing habits have changed.
“Anora” will be released in select theaters on October 18.
"Anora" director Sean Baker wants Hollywood to refocus on "human stories" that don't rely on superheroes, horror and action to draw people to theaters. pic.twitter.com/hHaiG69QHE
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) October 8, 2024