Three Movies, One Bigger Question About Hollywood

I've recently watched Spa Weekend, Buddy, and The Dog Stars. None of these movies set the box office on fire during their initial theatrical runs.

But here's the thing: I didn't think these movies were bad. I enjoyed them! I'll be sharing my reviews of all three soon on NielFlamm.com.

And that got me thinking about how much the movie business has changed.

🎟️ What Happened to the Average Movie?

Go back 20 or 30 years. A movie didn't necessarily need to be a blockbuster to find an audience. There was room for movies that were simply good, entertaining, or worth a couple of hours away from everyday life.

With the right marketing, press coverage, interviews, and promotional junkets, a movie could build awareness and attract enough ticket buyers to have a respectable theatrical run.

Not every movie needed to become a cultural phenomenon. Not every release needed to launch a franchise. Sometimes, a decent movie could just be… a decent movie.

And that was okay.

📱 Today's Entertainment Landscape Is Different

Today, movies compete with a much bigger list of options.

Streaming services offering thousands of titles at home.
Video games, social media, and YouTube competing for our attention.
Concerts, restaurants, travel, and other activities competing for our entertainment dollars.
Higher costs that make a trip to the movie theater feel like a bigger financial decision.

When you're paying for tickets, snacks, parking, and possibly a babysitter, you might think twice before spending that money on a movie you know very little about.

And in an economy where people are watching their spending, that decision becomes even more important.

💥 Franchises, Famous Names, and Built-In Audiences

The theatrical marketplace increasingly rewards movies that already have something working in their favor.

A recognizable franchise. A major director. A huge star. A devoted fan base. A built-in audience that's ready to buy tickets on opening weekend.

Those elements can make a movie easier to market and give people a reason to show up.

But what happens to movies without those advantages?

The original stories. The smaller comedies. The dramas. The movies that might not dominate the conversation but can still deliver an enjoyable experience?

They may struggle to get noticed, even when they're perfectly entertaining.

🍿 Does Every Movie Need to Be a Blockbuster?

That's the question I keep coming back to.

I enjoyed Spa Weekend, Buddy, and The Dog Stars. That doesn't mean they're perfect, and you'll hear my individual thoughts when I review them. But their box-office performance raises a bigger question: what kind of movies can survive in today's theatrical market?

Maybe the issue isn't that every movie is getting worse. Maybe it's that the marketplace has become less forgiving of movies that are simply good rather than extraordinary.

A movie can be worth watching without being the next billion-dollar franchise.

And not every movie needs to change cinema forever. Sometimes, I just want to sit down, enjoy a story, laugh a little, get emotionally invested, and walk out feeling like I spent my time well.

Is that too much to ask?

🎥 Coming Soon to NielFlamm.com

I'll be reviewing Spa Weekend, Buddy, and The Dog Stars soon. I'll share what I liked, what worked for me, and whether I think these movies deserve a second look.

Box-office numbers tell us how much money a movie made. They don't necessarily tell us whether an individual viewer enjoyed it.

If you want more good, bad, and stupid movies and beyond, you know where to find me.

👉 https://NielFlamm.com/videos

Or don't. 😉

🎬 Are We Losing the Middle-of-the-Road Movie?