Why I Still Love Movies in the Era of Peak TV

As I’ve recently wrote about, we are in the Golden Era of TV. A place in time where we have more choices of quality television than ever before.

Television as medium has matured and grown up, similar to how film grew and changed the modern movie landscape during the seventies. This growth has caused a profound shift in the way we experience stories, becoming the top outlet for creative expression and audience viewing.

It’s a great time to be alive, with an ever growing library of shows that fit every taste and mood.

But with all that said, my heart is still stuck on movies. I grew up on movies. They are where I’ve seen and experienced the most compelling ideas come to life. Everything from wild fantasy epics, to terrorizing horror, to intimate family dramas. Movies for me have a spirit and je ne sais quoi, that while hard to find words everyone feels it.

There is no more a defining story experience than watching a movie, whether at the theater, in the home, or on the go.

Films create an experience that feels both large and intimate at the same time. You go into them with the expectation to be taken on a journey, from beginning to end.

In this time of peak TV, what are considered film’s weakness versus TV, I see them as their strength. It’s finiteness, compression of time, uninterrupted engagement, are what set movies apart and create a unique experience.

TV’s sprawling, time filling, detail oriented requirements don’t allow for maximum impact and gravity of key intimate moments. The long game of TV doesn’t have the same scale and impact with each scene.

The inherent structure of a movie requires it to use each scene carefully to have a purpose and impact, signaling to audiences times of significance. Films must draw you in from the beginning, with little knowledge and connection to the characters and the world they inhibit, establishing a lasting relationship.

When I sit down to watch a movie, I love being sucked into its world. Subconsciously scanning for subtly pieces of information, connecting with characters, building the puzzle, feeling its tone, finding its meaning.

When done effectively, it is a rewarding experience.

That is not to say movies are easy to watch or that I do a lot of it. In our current times, it’s hard to find/make time to watch a two hour movie, let alone decide what what to watch. Part of the success of TV today it that you already have the foundation of characters and tone while being presented in small chunks of time that allows for the jumping in at a moments notice. Given fact that most TV is created around interruptions (commercial breaks), that are woven into the fabric of the plot and story structure, it fits perfectly with our dual screen lifestyle.

(This also partly why movie sequels are so popular- you have a foundation of expectations going in.)

In the end, this isn’t me saying one is better than the other. They each have structural differences in the way they tell stories that each has strengths and weaknesses. I love all of the great story telling on television and have a great connection and passion for particular series (have I ever told you how much I like Mad Men?) 🙄. But the peak enjoyment for storytelling for me comes from movies.

And even though movies have changed in their scope and priorities, there are still great movies (besides comic book movies) being made and released every year. Wonderful weird, quirky, funny, and thrilling stories. They deserve our attention, and I believe at some point in the near future the pendulum will swing back their way.

I myself am making it a goal to watch more movies, both in the theater and at home, and live more in the finite present moment they represent.