Laura Carollo
Research expert covering cinema and film
Independent movies - statistics & facts
In an industry with a growing number of franchises and superhero movies, independent films offer a breath of fresh air to audiences seeking something different. As the gap seems to be widening between blockbusters and smaller productions that struggle to make it to the big screen, what is the future of independent cinema?
An increasingly risk-averse cinema landscape
Despite most COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, a sizable number of people are reluctant to make their way back to theaters. In an effort to keep afloat and prevent further closures, movie theaters are counting on crowd-drawing movies, especially from well-known and beloved franchises, which are almost guaranteed to garner high box office revenues. However, this limited offering is a reason why many moviegoers do not go back to theaters as much, or at all. While only a select few independent movies are usually picked to be released on the big screen, an even smaller number make it big – a trend that only became more pronounced during the pandemic. The number of indie movies released and the revenues they generated have dropped severely in 2020, but the tide is starting to turn as the industry slowly bounces back.A few indie darlings
Some independent films manage to stand out from the crowd and achieve mainstream and critical success. Released in 2022, the acclaimed sci-fi drama “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” won a total of seven Academy Awards during the 2023 ceremony and became A24’s highest grossing movie yet. The independent studio was the most successful of the night, bringing home the highly coveted Best Picture Oscar as well as all the acting awards. Another way of sticking out is hoping for the virality only social media can offer. Blumhouse’s horror sensation “M3GAN” was one of 2023’s highest grossing horror movie with a total profit of 95.16 million U.S. dollars.. The film’s viral dance sequence inspired many TikTok users to recreate it, contributing to the success of the movie.Is the future of indie filmmaking online?
Another consequence of the pandemic is the boom of video-on-demand streaming. Customers quickly grew accustomed to it, so much so that an increasing number of adults prefer enjoying movies at home rather than going to the movie theater. Even though distributing an indie movie on a video on demand platform seems like a safer option, it also risks getting lost in expanding and highly curated movie catalogues. While some independent movies like “Skinamarink” and "Evil Dead Rise” were first expected to be released on demand exclusively, their successful theatrical runs are proof that there is still an audience willing to pay to see independent films on the big screen.
