Grown-up dramas and eccentric comedies made far from Hollywood are an endangered species. But without them, the future of film looks bleak.
What do Civil War, Sound of Freedom, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Longlegs and Hereditary have in common? All were independently produced — indeed, three of them by the same company, A24. And all had big muscle at the box office.
Now, another game. What do Before Sunrise, Grosse Pointe Blank, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Little Miss Sunshine and Napoleon Dynamite have in common? Again, all independent. All big hits in the 1990s and 2000s. These days, none would be likely to score a theatrical release, or even get made. They’d certainly have an uphill struggle turning a profit.
