Movies Aren’t Cool Anymore

And that should scare us more than we think.

Once, being a “movie person” meant something. It meant you had taste. You were tapped into something cultural, current, and collective. You could drop a line from Goodfellas or Clueless and someone across the room would answer back. You’d plan your weekend around the theater. You’d argue with friends about what a movie meant. Cinema wasn’t just entertainment, it was identity.

Now? That energy’s gone.

Film still exists, of course. But it doesn’t move culture the way it once did. It doesn’t feel urgent, or dangerous, or cool. Not like music. Not like fashion. Not like TikTok creators who can shift the aesthetic of a generation overnight. Movies, especially the ones that aren’t IP tentpoles, have become afterthoughts. Quiet drops. Quiet exits. Forgotten in the scroll.

And on top of that? They’re not even affordable.

The Decline of Movie Culture

There was a time when movies shaped everything. The Matrix didn’t just change sci-fi, it changed sunglasses. Pulp Fiction made indie cinema feel like rock and roll. Even smaller films had seismic reach. Now, most films, especially originals, barely get a blip of buzz before being buried under the next algorithm dump.

Filmmaking used to be synonymous with cultural leadership. Directors were icons. Their aesthetics bled into album covers, magazine shoots, Halloween costumes. The “film kid” archetype was someone you listened to, someone who mattered. Today, they’re buried under reaction videos, 17-second recaps, and threads nobody finishes reading.

Movies used to define the conversation. Now they’re lucky to join it.

The Cost of Entry Is Too High

Let’s talk logistics. In major cities, a movie ticket can cost $20 or more. Add popcorn, parking, and the expectation that you’ll maybe Venmo someone for a drink after, and it’s a $40 night, minimum. For a medium that once prided itself on democratic access, that’s become an elite experience.

And the worst part? You’re paying premium prices for a non-premium experience. Theaters haven’t leveled up with the cost. Broken reclining seats. Bad projection. Blown-out sound. A kid scrolling TikTok behind you. It’s not the sacred communal ritual it once was. It’s just… fine. And “fine” doesn’t justify $20 and two hours of your time.

Sure, streaming offers alternatives. But streaming is an ocean, not a showcase. Things drop silently. They vanish without promotion. Half the time, the movie wasn’t made to be seen, it was made to fill a quota. No one discovers a favorite film on a homepage slider. You stumble onto it, if you’re lucky. And most people aren’t trying that hard.

We’ve made it easier than ever to watch anything. But harder than ever to care about something.

Cinema Has Lost Its Cultural Moment

Here’s the thing. Movies used to give us moments. You’d quote them. Dress like them. Mimic the walk. Listen to the soundtrack. Rewatch scenes until they were burned into your brain. They didn’t just pass through your life, they punctuated it.

Now, that space has been filled by other forms of culture. TikTok has replaced trailers. Music has replaced monologues. TV dominates group chats. Sports is the last true appointment-viewing event. And film? It’s adrift.

Even the Oscars, a celebration of the medium itself, barely registers beyond the industry. It used to be appointment television. Now it’s a Twitter recap.

If cinema doesn’t show up where the culture is, it disappears from the conversation entirely.

How to Make Film Cool Again (Yes, It’s Possible)

Here’s the good news. Film still can be cool. It just needs to stop acting like it’s owed attention. Movies don’t need bigger budgets. They need sharper instincts. The kind that aren’t afraid to collaborate with culture instead of compete with it. Here’s where to start:

1. Fashion

Make characters iconic again. Build capsule collections with designers, not just merch drops. Let the wardrobe be part of the campaign. If people want to dress like your movie, you’ve already won. (Think: “Kill Bill” tracksuits. “Drive” jackets. “Barbie” pink.)

2. Music

Bring back the power of a soundtrack. Collaborate with musicians to release singles. Use songs to build emotional texture. Drop music videos that act as unofficial teasers. Let the music exist outside the movie, it’ll pull people in.

3. Experiential Events

Premieres don’t have to be velvet rope affairs. Do underground screenings in abandoned malls. Create immersive art installations that feel like walking into the movie. Let people live in the world before they see it.

4. Social Media Cross-Pollination

Film marketing should be chaotic, creative, and unpredictable. Don’t just post trailers. Let meme accounts reinterpret the movie. Give TikTok creators behind-the-scenes moments to remix. Let fans own pieces of the story.

5. Filmmaker as Brand

People follow people. If your director has vision, let them be visible. Let them do podcasts, fashion shoots, Letterboxd reviews. When a filmmaker’s point of view feels like a brand, something with taste and attitude, audiences start to care about what they do next.

The Stakes

This isn’t just a nostalgia trip. Movies matter. Not just because they’re fun or pretty or clever, but because they’re one of the last forms of collective dreaming. When we treat them like disposable content, we lose more than just box office dollars. We lose a shared cultural language.

Cinema doesn’t need to be louder. It needs to be sharper. Hungrier. More surprising. It needs to meet people where they are, not with a billboard or a Rotten Tomatoes score, but with style, emotion, and authorship.

If movies want to matter again, they need to stop chasing relevance and start behaving like the culture-defining medium they once were.

Because if we lose that? We’re not just losing cinema. We’re losing a piece of ourselves.

If You’re a Filmmaker, Don’t Wait for Cool, Create It

The industry won’t hand culture back to you. You have to take it. Don’t just make a good film. Build a world around it. Collaborate with artists outside of film. Think beyond the trailer. Make the rollout as creative as the script. Because if you treat your movie like culture, others might too. And if enough of us do that, maybe, just maybe, movies won’t feel like relics. They’ll feel like revelations again.

This newsletter is growing fast. If you're new here, subscribe to join the movement.