Multiverses, Neytiri, And Bears, Oh My: The April JustWatch Top 10
Last month, it appears that domestic film fans were looking for a little vicarious adventure to liven up their couch surfing.
That would explain why the latest JustWatch top 10 chart, which tracks the most-searched for titles on the go-to website for all your streaming needs, is jam-packed with fun fare.
Among the titles listed, six are out-and-out action-adventure romps: multiverse-hopping 2022 Best Picture Everything Everywhere All At Once (written and directed by The Movies That Made Me podcast guests Daniels), Elizabeth Banks’ action-comedy Cocaine Bear, the original 2014 John Wick (still yours truly’s favorite), James Cameron’s epic blockbuster sci-fi sequel Avatar: The Way Of Water, Nicolas Cage’s meta-journey The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent (that film’s writer/director, Tom Gormican, was also a recent guest on The Movies That Made Me), and the CGI Antonio Banderas quest picture Puss In Boots: The Last Wish.
Judging by its name alone, one might reasonably expect The Whale to be some kind of Melvillian seafaring romp, and not, you know, a morose Academy Award-winning drama about a depressive professor. Anyway, we’re not counting it as an adventure here. The top 10 last month was rounded out by the incisive true-life behind-the-scenes drama Tetris, Scream VI and the 2013 Evil Dead remake.
So why are film fans virtually flocking to so much journey-centric content this spring? Is it because, after being housebound for so much of the 2020s, we’re seeking out brave new worlds beyond our own corporeal realities? Is it just what’s hot right now?
Who can say? I’m just asking questions.
It’s fascinating to see that the first John Wick and the 2013 Evil Dead remake were the titles that were the most sought-after by JustWatchers, while fans were hungry for the latest installment of another franchise, legacy sequel Scream VI. Evil Dead Rise and John Wick: Chapter 4 are both very much still active releases at the domestic box office, so perhaps fans would prefer seeing those two in theaters while they can, as Scream VI came out a bit earlier in the year and naturally will hit streamers sooner.
Surprisingly, six of these pictures were not based on previously-existing cinematic properties. Studio executives, take note!
Is this clear evidence that film fans are hungry for more original content, and less recycled IP? Perhaps, but then again, John Wick did kick off a franchise, so if we shifted that over into the pictures predicated on preexisting titles (given that it’s foundational), the competition between original and original fare would be a push.