In an interview with The Guardian, legendary actor Willem Dafoe was asked what he thought about the movies of today. His answer, it’s fair to say, has struck a chord.
In the article, Dafoe, who stars in new black comedy Poor Things, says people watch films differently now, at home, rather than at the cinemas, which are closing down. “Which is tragic, because the kind of attention that people give at home isn’t the same,” Dafoe said.
“More difficult movies, more challenging movies can not do as well, when you don’t have an audience that’s really paying attention. That’s a big thing. I miss the social thing of where movies fit in the world. You go see a movie, you go out to dinner, you talk about it later, and that spreads out. People now go home, they say, ‘Hey, honey, let’s watch something stupid tonight,’ and they flip through and they watch five minutes of 10 movies, and they say, forget it, let’s go to bed. Where’s that discourse found?”
More difficult movies, more challenging movies can not do as well, when you don’t have an audience that’s really paying attention.
But is Willem Dafoe right? Do you pay attention when you’re watching at home? Do you prefer less challenging movies when you’re streaming, compared to when you go out to watch a movie at the theatre?
It’s certainly a talking point amid the ongoing streaming wars, with the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and many more all vying for our attention. Meanwhile, companies who release films in theatres as well as on streaming platforms are still trying to work out how best to launch their costly products.
If you find yourself in an indecisive mood while working out what to watch at home, check out our list of the 25 best movies on Netflix right now.
Image credit: Photo by Christopher Polk/WWD via Getty Images
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
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