The Audience Problem: Why Good Movies Are Hard to Find

By Kent Thalman

The problem is well known: 

You’re sitting on [insert streaming platform name here], scrolling up and down, adding some familiar titles to your watchlist, as well as some okay-looking films, only to look at your watch and realize that you have obligations in the morning, and you need to go to bed. Which you do. And you ask yourself (because you can’t fall asleep anymore due to the aforementioned screen burning the melatonin out of your system), “why is it so hard to find great movies to watch?”

In reality, there are more great movies in existence now than ever before. That’s because, well, none of the great films of the past are gone. That library has only expanded over time. The real problem is two-fold: either we can’t find good movies anymore in the current streaming landscape due to divided libraries of films, or audiences don’t know how to find them when they exist.

I want to offer some ideas that will help you find solutions to the second problem today, as well as inspire you to act in ways that will lead to solutions to the first problem tomorrow.

First, audiences don’t know how to find good movies anymore. There are several reasons. The most obvious one is that there are simply too many movies in the world, and if we were to try and watch them all, we’d die before finishing. This was not always the case. A few dozen, very carefully crafted films came to cinemas across the nation per year, and usually there were a few hits that audiences could depend on. But that supply has steadily, and now exponentially, dwarfed the demand that our families have for hours-of-content. But if there are now so many wonderful movies in existence, why do we so seldom feel inspired each time we sit down to watch a film that is new to us? And where can we start to find the gold in this mountain of movies?

An easy answer would be to start with the films you cherish and love. Those can often lead you to new (and old) discoveries. For example, if you love multiple films by a certain director, continue your journey into that filmmaker’s body of work. If you exhaust that body of work, look into the filmmakers that inspired that filmmaker.

“But Kent!” I hear you gasp, “that will lead us backwards…into bygone days of films without color, sound, or perhaps even ones that make me read (dare we say it) subtitles!” This leads me to another piece of advice: challenge your biases. Some wonderful people I know have such strong standards around what media they will consume, that they conflate moral boundaries with emotional ones. Moral boundaries are healthy, and I won’t challenge yours in this article. Protect them, because a film is worthless next to your moral character. But emotional boundaries aren’t always helpful. For example, my emotional boundaries would tell me that speaking publicly will pose a threat to my life (which is in fact, a lie). They sometimes block me from growth. I’ve met many who turn movies off that make them uncomfortable, for any number of reasons, from the movie’s oldness to its challenging perspectives. Remember, you don’t have to agree with someone to listen respectfully and grow through the interaction. The same is true of films (made by people, like conversations). And being brave always leads to growth and discovery, and sometimes great joy.

“But Kent!” you add, “I don’t watch movies to grow or learn or be challenged. I watch them to be entertained!” And as much as I sometimes dislike to admit it, so do I! Let me quickly define “entertainment”, by first asking some questions: what is the opposite of entertainment? Right, boredom. Would you agree if I defined “boredom” as something most of us feel when we are disengaged, feeling a general lack of emotions, or unchallenged because of the over-ease of a task? So what makes a movie “entertaining”? What if it was engaging, exploring topics or concepts we haven’t given much thought to, or addressing them in ways we have never considered? What if the film invites us to participate by using our intellects, or it makes us feel a broad range of emotions (joy, surprise, suspense, sadness, humor, jubilance, hope)? What if it raises questions that stick with us for days or weeks or years?

If so, then it sounds like we are all watching films for similar, if not the same, reasons.

Here are a few more ideas to help you find movies that will bless your life (they can do that, you know). The apostle Paul says, “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, New Testament, KJV).

Lets break that down into a few practical applications:

1. Public Libraries: The Best Streaming Services. I can, with my handy library app, look up a film and see if there is a DVD of it anywhere in my regional library system. Do you have a library card? If not…shame! Getting one is essential for individuals and families who want to learn and grow without subscriptions draining their net worth each month. Most of the best films I’ve discovered in the last 5-10 years, I’ve checked out from my local library.

2. Good Report: I once heard Steven Spielberg mention John Ford’s film, Red River, starring John Wayne, in an interview. I thought, “I’ve seen some John Ford films, and I generally like Spielberg films. Since he regards that film so much, I should at least give Red River a chance.” It was pretty great! Likewise, teachers and filmmakers I respect mentioned a film by renowned director George Miller, called Lorenzo’s Oil. Most people haven’t seen that film because it underperformed at the box office in the 90’s, but upon giving it a chance, I realized I’d found a masterpiece. Now sometimes I watch films that come highly recommended and walk away saying, “that just wasn’t for me,” or even, “I’m definitely not going to watch that again!” That’s okay. Being brave means there will sometimes be misfires.

3. Another aspect of “good report” might come from critics. While some people believe that audiences are better than critics, or visa versa…both audiences and critics can be wrong. However, there are a few lists for your consideration which can lead to remarkable discoveries. Take a look at the following lists, check out the movie’s synopsis, what people say about it and its content, and decide if it’s something you’d like to check out. You’ll likely find something that sounds interesting. And if you take some chances, you’ll likely be rewarded. There are some films on these lists that I don’t like at all. Some have changed my life. And some, for personal reasons, I’ll not be watching ever. These are films, not laws. Try these lists for starters (note: ignore words like “best” or “greatest” because those are just people’s opinions…these lists are not definitive, they’re simply fine resources):

   1. BFI’s Sight and Sound List: Greatest Films of All Time

   2. AFI’s 100 Greatest Films of All Time

   3. Letterbox’d 100 Greatest Films of All Time

   4. IMDb Top 250 List

I promise you that when you open your mind to new adventures, adventures do come! You will find your soul nourished in delightful ways that will add to your knowledge and joy.

In my next blog, I will go over some ways that you can not only discover great old films, but help heal the problems in our society leading to so few great new films.

Next: The Creator Problem (Craft and Character)