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 pick something because you guess that it’ll make you feel a certain way? I’m feeling goofy, so let’s keep that going with some slapstick. Or I need to cry right now, I need guaranteed sadness. Or I want to learn more about Westerns, let’s give this one a try.
And similarly, do you skip movies because you imagine they’ll have you feeling upset? No dumb comedies this time; I don’t want to roll my eyes at lazy jokes. Or No dramas this time; I feel defeated and can’t take more negativity in my life right now. And so on.
The Therapy
Because we watch to feel, changing genre to be more descriptive would help us. With more detailed genre, we could get closer to that feeling that we’re trying to feel—or at the very least, we could begin to understand that we are looking for a feeling, which is an immensely valuable realization.
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 parent and need catharsis, or, I’m struggling with my evolving sexuality and need to feel seen. What if the 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.