Indie filmmaker Sean Baker lamented the diminishing quantity of films not geared toward the superhero, action flick or horror genres.
“What I miss,” Baker began in a recent interview with the Associated Press, “where are the mature film for adults that had human stories, that didn’t have to have explosions or didn’t have to have superheroes or a horror-based [concept]? Where are those?”
The Anora helmer listed such titles as the multi-Oscar-winning Kramer vs. Kramer, as well as films by Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs, The Manchurian Candidate, Philadelphia) and Robert Altman (Gosford Park, Nashville, M*A*S*H).
“Where are they these days? They don’t exist, unfortunately, or they’re very few and far between. And it’s like, let’s get the audience to remember that that stuff is just as worthy of being on the big screen as the big tentpole films, the big blockbusters.”
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He continued, reasoning, “And if we can bring that back, we can continue to keep theaters thriving, keep these mom-and-pop theaters open and alive. So, yeah, we’re trying. We’re trying here.”
Known for such projects as The Florida Project and Tangerine, both of which were shot on iPhones and earnestly depicted the experiences of people living on the margins of society, Baker is known for his neorealistic and grainy style.
He is also not the first director to grieve over studio’s prioritization of the bottom line through massive IP-driven franchises. Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Ridley Scott, William Oliver Stone and Jane Campion are among the directors who have lampooned Marvel/DC projects and big-budget action films.
Baker, who has since limited the viewers on his X account, later clarified his words in a post on social media, per IndieWire. “There are some who think I’m slamming horror films,” Baker wrote — receiving support from commenters — following the responses to his AP interview. “I grew up on horror films, I love horror films, I’d never slam horror films. What I said in the AP interview is that I wish studios would produce more adult dramas as well as the staple genres for theatrical release.”
Anora premieres Oct. 18 in theaters.
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