How Do Movies Affect This Generation?

Sayak Mallick
Jul 14, 2020
4 min read

The world around us is running at a breakneck pace today. Stress has increased tenfold from what it was a decade back and there seems to be more and more work every passing day. Many of us indulge in watching our favorite movies, when we get some time, just to momentarily escape the monotony of this daily rat race. Luckily, for this generation, discovering and enjoying movies is easier than ever. OTT streaming platforms and their huge libraries mean that your favorite movie is just a couple of clicks away!

With so much content being available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Hotstar, for peanuts, people have many movies and series to choose from. Many people tend to choose movies because of the short crisp entertainment factors, most series are long and tend to be long - term commitments.

Movies, besides being an art form, also shape the ideologies of the society and the culture of the times. Often, they are referred to as "catalysts of change" and they can positively or negatively affect the generation in a plethora of ways. Let's look at some of them :

1) Inspiration

"You have to do the best with what God gave you." – Mrs. Gump (Forrest Gump, 1994)

Films have been instrumental in motivating, trying to convey the message that in spite of how messy things get, there will always be a way out. This sense of positivity helps many through their thick and thin. There have been films that have inspired generations and continue to do so in today's times. These movies also happen to have some touching quotes, which find their way into tons of Instagram and Facebook pages.

Our recommendations : Forrest Gump, Dead Poets Society, Tamasha

2) Heroism

The idea of a hero/heroine, often portrayed by famous stars, is one that will probably live forever. It must be pointed out that, even today, people tend to imitate the actions of these stars. Some movies depict this certain lead actor/actress to have negative qualities, to build a more interesting, balanced, and real character. This sometimes unknowingly, glorifies those negative traits and some people tend to pick them up, just because their favorite superstar condoned it. In spite of some of these downsides, we love the stars on screen.

"Kabhi kabhi jeetne ke liye kuch haarna padta hai. Aur haar ke jeetne waale ko baazigar kehte hai" - Shah Rukh Khan, Baazigar

Famous stars : SRK, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Robin Williams

3) Brings imaginations to life

Movies, endowed with the latest technological advances in gfx and video editing tools, do a fantastic job of bringing various historical scenes and geographies to life. Although the storylines of some movies are often tinkered with to make the movie more interesting, there are hundreds of non-commercial documentary films that portray near accurate accounts of historical events around the world. This also allows ideas such as different universes of sci-fi movies to be depicted.

Our favorites : the Avengers franchisee, Schindler's List

4) Shaping culture

The relation between art forms and culture of a certain place is often interdependent: one often mirrors the other. There have been some fantastic movies, that have raised some important questions to society at large. This has led to a process of introspection, which has consequently helped us evolve into better human beings. There are also movies that are a treasure trove of pop culture representation, really carving out a niche for themselves. Some movies have attained faithful cult followers and their intricacies are widely spoken about decades after their initial arrival.

photo source - pinterest

Bollywood hit : Thappad

Cult classic : the Batman trilogy, Pulp Fiction

5) Hot topic to talk about

We are living in times when people are so obsessed with their own lives, they often do not know how to talk to other people. Movies and art in general is a steady source of healthy conversation, that leads to debates, discussions, and self-improvement. Remember, when you and your best friend spoke about that new Netflix Special?

Newest exciting propositions : the Old Guard (netflix), Tenet (coming soon)

6) Career path

Due to the (supposed) lavish lifestyle that people in the film industry lead, people get attracted to it like moths to a flame. This gives us lots of talent and variety on screen, but at the same time, there are a lot of people who tend to "not make it". It's about time we support those struggling artists, and also, those people should try to work harder or even consider changing careers. With an emphasis on recent events, if they feel mentally fragile, they should talk to their loved ones for support. Giving up is not an option, y'all!

RIP Sushant Singh Rajput :(

7) Entertainment factor

Lastly, no one can deny the sheer entertainment that movies provide. Feeling uninspired? Had a bad day? Want to sit back and relax? Just take out your device and tune in to your favorite film! They give us a good solid couple hours and often leave us with one story more to tell. Be it a thriller full of twists and turns, or a romantic comedy making you smile cheek to cheek, or a sci-fi from a distant dystopian universe, it'll surely be a great watch!

Most entertaining movies : There's so so many! Let's just leave it at that!

Lastly, I just want to say that this lockdown has been a real drain for all of us. A lot of us have had to grind really hard, working from home, keeping a safe distance from people as well as from all the negativity online. Personally, movies really helped me distract myself for just the right amount of time so that I could come back to work fresh.

So, keep that balance right. Like a great man once said,