The Filmin generation enjoys going to the cinema

In times when there always seems to be another cinema closing its doors for good, some are now seeing an upturn in their fortunes thanks to the rise of auteur films. We are talking about films like Past Lives, Fallen Leaves, The Teacher Who Promised the Sea, Perfect Days, The Zone of Interest and, above all, Anatomy of a Fall. A whole series of films that unexpectedly broke the barrier of 400,000 euros in revenue in just a few weeks, and in several cases are looking like they might exceed one million.

Pau Brunet is a film analyst who works for Box Office and posts articles read by everyone in the sector on his X page. The first thing he tells us is that there is no single factor for understanding all the circumstances behind this unprecedented success.

Firstly, there is the return of a sector of established filmgoers that has gradually found its way back to the cinema since the pandemic, but, at the same time, the emergence of a new young audience that sees cinema as a recreational and cultural activity beyond screening platforms. Brunet calls this the Filmin generation (although in the US they are the Mubi generation, the name of the equivalent film platform over there), which is a sector of viewers who were under 20 during the pandemic and who have since developed a a taste for going to the cinema.

Brunet believes that the Yelmo and Cinesa cinema chains are suffering the most, along with multinational corporations that were nourished by blockbusters for over a decade, such as the Marvel films. However, recent films like Godzilla Kong and Ghostbusters have not attracted big audiences, which is aggravated by the fact that much of the natural audience for films like this expects them to end up on the small screen. The forecasts are not optimistic either, given that there are no big blockbuster releases on the horizon, apart from Joker 2. That and the fact that the consequence of the Hollywood actors’ and screenwriters’ strike, which caused production to plummet, has not yet been felt. The effects of that will be felt later this year and throughout 2025, he says.

Brunet also believes that independent cinemas have always known how to swim against the tide and this “natural state” has made them stronger. “They’ve got used to not making money and having to constantly reinvent themselves, looking for formulas to attract audiences. They’ve carved out a community by organising activities such as weekly presentations and debates, offering viewers an experience beyond the uniquely technical appeals of commercial cinema (Atmos or 3D sound, for example). This has allowed them to adapt and enjoy the sweet moment they are experiencing,” he says.

Specifically, Brunet believes that measures such as senior pricing (2 euros on Tuesdays) has been successful, attracting over a million viewers. Compared to the year of Avatar 2, from November to March there was a 95% increase at the box office on weekdays. And of course, those who have benefited from these profits are mainly auteur filmmakers and the cinemas that show their films.