There is something obvious about movies that nobody talks about, even though it’s life-changingly important: We watch movies because we want to feel.
This means that we need to re-think genre.
The Feels
First thing’s first, think about this and prove me wrong. When you look for something to watch, don’t you pass on movies because you don’t want to feel a certain way? No dumb comedies this time; I don’t want to roll my eyes at easy jokes. No dramas this time; I feel defeated and can’t take more negativity in my life right now. And so on.
And on the flip side, don’t you pick something because you guess that it’ll make you feel a certain way? I’m feeling goofy, let’s keep that going with some slapstick. Or I need to cry right now, I need guaranteed sadness.
The Therapy
Because we watch to feel, changing genre to be more descriptive would get us more quickly to that feeling that we’re trying to feel. Or at the very least, it’ll help us understand what we want to feel, which is a task in itself.
Imagine it. You go to your favorite streamer, and instead of a comedy section, there are sections like: I’ve had a tough day and need some light-hearted laughs, or, I want to feel OK for being clumsy. Instead of drama, there are sections like: I’m still angry at my mother and need catharsis, or, I’m struggling with my sexuality and need to feel seen. What if next time you go to the theater, there are movie sommeliers asking you about what you’re searching for, and making a recommendation?
The End is the Beginning
This may sound like an unnavigable maze of movies, but my guess is that it’ll help us. That it’ll be therapeutic.