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The Fall Guy and the Return of Cinema: Here's What We Think
The Fall Guy might not be the biggest hit of this year, but it signifies a much needed return to non-franchise fun cinema that Hollywood has long forgotten.
The movie comes to a climax, the villain goes to jail, our main leads get their happy ever after, the credits roll, and...there's no mid-credits scene announcing another bazillion dollars worth sequel. And just like that cinema is back...well not exactly, but it's a start. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt both had the biggest hits of the year to their names with Oppenheimer and Barbie last year, but in 2024, the 2 returned with something new. And while looking at the box office numbers one might be swayed to believe The Fall Guy didn't make any special mark, I am here to make the case that it's exactly what Hollywood needed.
The Fall Guys and its significance in 2024
Do not get me wrong I do not think that The Fall Guy is the best movie that has ever graced cinema, not by a mile, but still its potential impact on the future might just make it a milestone movie. So what it this significance and impact I keep on going on about? Well do you remember when Martin Scorsese said Marvel movies aren't cinema; though you might not agree with that statement, to me it shows a general sentiment among moviegoers who are going through a sort of superhero fatigue.
One look on any social media platform, and it'll dawn on you pretty quickly what I mean. Most superheroes haven't been doing all that well, either commercially or critically, though one can argue it has more to do with the plot of the movies than the genre, but I'd argue it's both. So in a generation where Hollywood is hell-bent on making 100 prequels and sequels, while also capitalizing on nostalgia, The Fall Guy With its old-school love story and action, is a breath of fresh air.
But The Fall Guy isn't a blockbuster hit, does it matter?
The Fall Guy recently crossed 100 Million globally, but it was made on a budget of around 130 Million dollars, meaning the movie is yet to break even. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that the Ryan Gosling starrer still has to cross a few more millions before it earns a profit. It goes unsaid that studios are more likely to invest in projects like The Fall Guy when stories like these will give them the possibility of a good profit. However, it would be a mistake to write off David Leitch's directorial for how much money it made, because of just the sheer amount of fun a cinema-goer can get out of an experience like this.
Barbie, The Fall Guy, and Everything Everywhere All at Once
What does The Fall Guy have in common with the biggest blockbusters of the last couple of years, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Barbie? While one of these movies is based on an inanimate doll finding her own agency, the other is about saving the universe from a villainous alter-ego. So how are they similar to the action-packed story of a stuntman trying to save his lover's movie? Well, it comes down to one word, Fun. In the last couple of years, it has become futile to predict what kind of movies will prove to be successful, in 2024 no project is a given blockbuster. And that comes down to the fact that the audiences have diversified to a point that they don't just limit themselves to a genre or a particular language when looking for good cinema.
With movies like RRR, and Parasite, entering the Western market, and more interesting stories finding their way to the big screens, the best the filmmakers can hope for is that the fans can have a good time watching their work. Because who doesn't like to have fun?
ALSO READ: Top Easter Eggs That You Missed In Ryan Gosling-Emily Blunt Starrer The Fall Guy
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