«"Thinking outside the box" is a phrase commonly used by those stuck in the conventional mold. It signifies something real, but it's also corporate jargon for genuine imagination—the courage to create something unprescribed or regimented. With that in mind, this weekend will undoubtedly go down in history as the one when thinking outside the box became attractive again in Hollywood.
The makers of comic book movies, Star Wars films, and most romantic comedies and horror films live within the confines of the familiar. But not the makers of "Backstage" and "Obsession"—two horror films that transport you to places you've never been. Apparently, a lot of people want to go there. "Backstage," a thought-provoking experimental horror film (in places it's a bit like "The Blair Witch Project," albeit 10 times weirder), is expected to gross $85 million this weekend; that figure is simply incredible. And "Obsession," after opening on May 15th with $17 million over the weekend, increased its second-weekend gross (up to $24 million); that's also crazy. (It defies the laws of box office gravity.)
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Much will be made of the enormous online popularity of these two films' young directors, Kain Parsons (Backstage) and Curry Barker (Obsession). It's part of this week's central lesson in capitalism: when it comes to finding "hip" directors, YouTube is the new Sundance, or the new MTV, or whatever. And much will be made of how the aesthetic of Backstage flows directly from the structural/atmospheric DNA of the internet. (This applies less to Obsession.) But if Hollywood truly wants to learn from the shocking success of these two films, the message needs to be much broader than, "Hip directors with devoted online followings sell!"«
The main message should be: There is a way to solve the problem that plagues the film industry. . How? By thinking outside the box. That doesn't mean we should abandon these boundaries. (Of course not; blockbusters still rule.) But they've become an addiction that Hollywood needs to break. And the success of "Behind the Scenes" and "Obsession" demonstrates a principle we've already seen in action this year, in films ranging from the suspenseful marital drama "Drama" to Pixar's offbeat comedy "Hoppers." Specifically: If you build it, they will come . The $85 million question: what This? What does Hollywood need to build?
The answer: more films that are ripped straight from the imagination, more films that turn forbidden corners and surprise, that don't follow the beaten path, that attract new audiences by using new ways of perceiving things.
«At times reminiscent of a surreal nightmare, the industrial, sonic, and boogie-inspired world of David Lynch's Eraserhead is one of the most experimental films ever to become a blockbuster. Obsession is more traditional, but there's something startlingly new in its chilling vision of a romantic relationship spiraling into mental illness. That's precisely what Obsession is about. Dan (Michael Johnston), a hero more sensitive than he should be, buys a Make-A-Wish collectible that causes Nikki (Indi Navarrette), the girl of his dreams, to fall in love with him. When this happens, her need for attention becomes so obsessive that she appears to be having a depressive/narcissistic/schizophrenic breakdown. This fantastical premise is rooted in real horror, and that's what makes the film so effective. It taps into real, intergenerational anxieties.
There's no denying that "Backstage" and "Obsession" are the shiny new Hollywood hits of the month. They're megahits to be celebrated. But it's important to note that both films were released independently: "Backstage" by A24 (it will be the reigning indie studio's biggest hit yet), "Obsession" by Focus Features (which acquired it for $14 million at the Toronto Film Festival last fall). A24 and Focus are committed to independent thinking and action. But just as Miramax's success in the '90s transformed Hollywood, the triumph of these two films has broader significance, as it undermines industry-wide fear and cynicism about the future of theatrical release. Imagine if Netflix had acquired "Obsession" at the Toronto Film Festival—the silence in which no one talks about it would be deafening. And I'd say A24, after "Marty Supreme," "Drama," and now "Behind the Scenes," is entering its full-fledged Miramax era, one where it has a chance to change the culture and direction of film distribution.
So, let's put aside the whining and worrying about streaming and young people not liking movies. There's no doubt that for the film industry to thrive, it needs to evolve, starting with a return to the religious belief in the power of windows. (If you delay home releases... they will come!) But most of all, we need to get back to making the kind of movies people seek out because they want to be there. surprised . "Behind the Scenes" and "Whiplash" are artful enough to prove that mass audiences are truly hungry for something artful. Something out of the ordinary. For a moment, maybe even longer, these films should unite everyone, saying: To hell with the frames !
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