10 Things We Learned About Cinema In 2017

Good movies, bad sequels, dead universes and a corporate merger. Just the usual, then.

2017 Movies
Warner Bros/Marvel/Disney

With 2017 rapidly disappearing in the rear-view mirror and awards season recently moving into full swing, the next several months will feature plenty of polite applause, disgruntled loser's faces and plenty of back-slapping as Hollywood congratulates itself while celebrating the last year in cinema.

As those involved in the industry decide among themselves which movie, writers, actors, actresses, editors, composers, costume designers and more are deemed to be remembered as 2017's best, the rest of us will reflect on the last twelve months in a slightly different way; with year-in-review lists that delve into the minutiae of 2017, both the very best and horrifying worst. Obviously.

There are few that will likely remember 2017 as an important year in the history of cinema, in front of the camera at least, but that's not to say it was dull. The last twelve months have shown Hollywood at its most over-indulgent and excessive, yet also at its most creative and imaginative with pretty much everything in between.

It wasn't great, but it wasn't too terrible either. Last year in a nutshell, pretty much. Hopefully those in the industry will have learned a few new lessons to take with them into the rest of 2018, because we definitely picked up on a few things.

10. Horror Is Still Hugely Profitable

2017 Movies
Warner Bros.

In an era where studio movies are becoming more and more expensive to the tune of $200m and above, the horror genre has continued to prove that you don't need to break the bank in order to reap the rewards at the box office. No matter what the current trends are in cinema, audiences will always enjoy getting the sh*t scared out of them.

2017 was another hugely successful year for horror, once again demonstrating the wide-reaching appeal of what has become a relatively critic-proof genre. Even if a movie has terrible reviews, audiences looking to be terrified will still usually show up on opening weekend.

Not that last year wasn't without its critical darlings; IT became a cultural phenomenon as it racked up almost $700m worldwide on its way to becoming the highest-grossing horror movie of all time, while Get Out not only earned over fifty times its budget in theaters but is now a genuine awards contender.

Annabelle: Creation, Split, Happy Death Day and Jigsaw all recouped their production costs at least ten times over at the box office in what was another banner year for horror at the multiplex. A low-cost, high-reward method of filmmaking that is almost guaranteed to put butts in seats, it may just be the most profitable genre in the entire industry.

 
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