Movies have replaced myths and novels as the primary vessel for a culture’s most important stories and values, but something profound broke in Hollywood around 2019. The conversation traces a stark decline in films that feel like enduring, capital-A Art, despite a steady stream of technically impressive entertainment. The causes are identified as a perfect storm of economic and cultural shifts. The rise of streaming severed the lucrative aftermarket (DVD sales, syndication) that once funded creative gambles, while a pervasive climate of fear—termed “The Message”—saw films increasingly become predictable political propaganda, stifling creativity and comedy to avoid career-ending controversy.

This cultural “fever” is now breaking, leading to a transitional and weird period. For the next few years, a backlog of message-driven films greenlit at the height of the tension will continue to be released, feeling “musty” and out of touch with a shifting audience. However, a new wave is emerging, signaled by films like Eddington, which directly and authentically engages with the raw, chaotic realities of the past five years—COVID, the George Floyd riots, social media, and political polarization—that most other films have ignored. This marks a return to movies that feel like they are about real people in the real world.

The future hinges on two converging forces: changing economics and AI. Studios, facing financial pressure, are becoming less risk-averse to greenlighting projects based solely on fear. Simultaneously, AI is poised to democratize filmmaking, enabling a new generation of creators without traditional studio access or technical skills to bring their visions to life, much like early digital tools birthed South Park. This technological shift, combined with a cultural opening, could unleash a new era of diverse, compelling, and artistically significant films that once again capture the spirit of the times.

Surprising Insights

• The Production Lag Illusion: The drop in film quality post-2019 can’t be blamed solely on COVID theater closures, as movies released in 2021-2024 were greenlit and largely produced before the pandemic, pointing to deeper cultural and economic shifts that began around 2015.
• Streaming’s Hidden Downside: While streaming flooded Hollywood with money initially, it ultimately killed the long-tail financial model (DVDs, TV rights) that made risky, original films economically viable, incentivizing safer, less ambitious projects.
• The “Unreality” of Recent Film: For years, major films acted as if seismic real-world events—COVID, the 2020 protests, Trump, social media’s dominance—simply never happened, a deliberate avoidance born of fear over tackling such hot-button topics.
• The Comedy Drought: For nearly a decade, it was virtually impossible to make a mainstream adult comedy because humor requires poking sacred cows, which was deemed too culturally risky during the height of “The Message.”
• AI as a Creative Liberator: Beyond its use for effects, AI is seen not just as a threat to jobs but as a tool that will empower a new class of “filmmakers” who are strong on big ideas and storytelling but lack traditional camera, editing, or budgeting skills.

Practical Takeaways

• Seek Out the New Wave: Actively look for films like Eddington that are beginning to tackle the complexities of modern life head-on, as they represent the leading edge of a return to relevant, authentic storytelling.
• Vote with Your Wallet: Support films that break from predictable messaging and take creative risks, especially comedies and original stories, as box office success is the clearest signal to studios to greenlight more diverse content.
• Re-evaluate “Musty” Acclaim: Be skeptical of rapturous critical praise for films that feel ideologically rigid or behind the cultural curve; trusted audience scores and word-of-mouth may be better guides to what resonates now.
• Embrace the Democratization of Creation: For aspiring storytellers, explore emerging AI video tools as a viable path to creating professional-level content without needing access to traditional film industry gates.
• Recognize the Cultural Shift: Understand that the creative landscape is in flux; projects being approved today will reflect a post-“Message” sensibility, so anticipate and support more varied and daring films in the coming years.