Summer 2016 was one of the hottest we’ve ever had. Blame it on global warming, blame it on Obama — it’s not really my place to say whose fault it was, but we can all agree it was hot. This summer, millions of people were clamoring for an activity where you can go inside and be in a nice air conditioned room, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than going to a movie. This summer was as divisive as ever for film, and there were some major takeaways for the future.

People love animated talking animals and inanimate objects

When will people get sick of talking animals? I will go on record and say “never.” This summer was maybe the peak of films with talking animals and inanimate objects, as we saw from gems such as “Finding Dory,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” and “Sausage Party.” While all three of these films were very different, audiences flocked to screens to see these usually inarticulate creatures talking to us.

The reason these films succeeded was because they took the general premise of the talking “fill in the blank,” and added a component that made them must-see attractions. “Finding Dory” was a sequel to one of the most beloved films of the past generation. “The Secret Life of Pets” was a new, original film that brought an all-star cast of comedians and combined it with a premise that engaged pet owners of all ages. While you’d expect this to be a kids’ movie, “The Secret Life of Pets” did huge business with older people who just adore their pets. Finally, “Sausage Party” was a hit because it took the cliche of the talking “fill in the blank” and turned it on its head in the most deranged way possible. “Sausage Party” was a film for people who grew up with Pixar, but are now adults and have a more, let’s just say, mature sense of humor. “Sausage Party” was able to cash in on nostalgia while but also give us something new.

Scary Movies Make Scary Good Money

Horror films are the ultimate profit generator in Hollywood. Their revenues are not always top tier, but their very cheap budgets yield some of the best return on investments you can find in the film industry. For instance, the film “Lights Out” grossed a healthy $65 million at the box office this summer, but was produced for a mere $4.9 million before marketing costs. Other smash hits included “The Purge: Election Year,” “The Conjuring 2” and most recently, “Don’t Breathe.” Unlike your traditional horror slate, however, these films actually received anywhere from almost good to great reviews. Horror films typically are destroyed by critics, so a mixed review usually means audiences will eat it up. This summer proved that there is still an extremely healthy and hungry audience for horror flicks, as long as that audience is provided some delicious and well-made scary stuff to consume.

Tragedy Is Easy, Comedy is Hard

This summer, the action genre continued to soar and dramas did some solid business, but there seemed to be a notable lack of successful comedies. In fact, this has been a trend in recent years, as movies that are what I call “simple comedies” seem to be significantly decreasing in number.

Now sure, high-concept comedies like “Sausage Party” succeeded, but what is happening to the type of comedies that were abundant in the last decade, that just featured funny actors in funny situations? This year had two excellent comedies, “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” and “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” and both fell flat on their face in the box office. “Bad Moms” and “Central Intelligence” (which is also very action focused) were the only hits, but came not even close to the level of phenomenon we’ve seen in films such as “Bridesmaids,” “The Hangover” or even “Trainwreck.”

People are going to the movies more and more now, because nothing rivals the experience of seeing a film on the big screen. Unfortunately for these movies, even though 4 or 5 years ago they would have lit the box office on fire, it appears audiences are ready to shove those to home video or their Netflix queue.

Kyle Stevens is a sophomore advertising major. You can email him at ksteve03@syr.edu or reach him on Twitter at @kstevs_.

Published on August 31, 2016 at 11:35 pm