There is a word tossed around by moviegoers and movie critics that has a murky definition: blockbuster.
The most basic definition for blockbuster is when a film has huge commercial success, which is evident through box office revenue. But there's a different way to look at blockbusters.
Every movie is made with the intention of making money, but oftentimes that is not the focus. An arthouse film can be made for the purpose of tampering with style or conveying a certain theme — they're not necessarily about making money.
Obvious examples of blockbusters are stamped with the Marvel logo. Movies like Captain America, Iron Man or any of the Avenger movies within the studio’s cinematic universe are proclaimed blockbusters before they even hit the big screen. Those film maintain the same basic format that will draw audiences. The films have wide appeal and make money easily.
The latest Marvel movie to hit blockbuster status was Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman. The superhero film with a female lead grossed more than $400 million in the U.S. Even with little promotion, the film was destined to make it big at the box office.
A movie can also hit blockbuster level with the actors and directors but still have a distinct style. Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk was a completely stylistic film that grossed more than $100 million domestically. Though the film was pegged to be a blockbuster from the get-go, that was not its main drive. The purpose of the film was to break boundaries and tell a story in an original way —
but it was bound to have box office success with Nolan’s name attached to it.
One of the unexpected breakout hits of the summer was Baby Driver. The film garnered some of the best reviews of the year because of its use of sound and thrilling plot line. The movie also grossed more than $100 million domestically, shocking most moviegoers. Though the film contains movie stars like Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx, that isn't what drove people to the movie theater. The film was under-promoted, and most people wouldn't have known those people were in the film until they sat in the theater seats. The cinematic style of the movie and its plot is what captivated the audience and earned it the title “blockbuster.”
In short, a true blockbuster is a film that goes in with the intent of grabbing people’s attention and making money.
Artistic films that don’t go in with the mindset to make money but to push the movie industry forward should be dubbed "earned blockbusters." Those films are the real winners of the box office, because they bring more to the table than the run-of-the-mill movies playing at every theater. Those are the movies that should earn the blockbusters title.
Georgia Davis is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What is your definition of a blockbuster? Tell Georgia by tweeting her at @georgiadee35.
