As a lover of box office analysis and all things movie data, my favourite films rarely coincide with the big hitters of the summer box office. That’s why summer 2023 was so special. Barbenheimer hit the cinemas on July 21^st in a one-off cinematic event—making a combined $310 million in its first weekend. Barbie is my favourite film of last year, and the top grossing—something I think is a one-off phenomenon for me. So, let’s dive into the 2024 statistics, comparing the highs and lows of the box office to my completely personal, subjective opinions of the films themselves. 

Inside Out 2

Admittedly, my overview of this film is skewed by the fact I got in a car crash on the way back from this seeing this film at the cursed White Rose Cineworld, so ‘fear’ is the main emotion I associate with seeing this film- but Inside Out 2 definitely fills you with others. I loved Maya Hawke as an addition to the cast, as well as Ayo Edibiri and June Squibb, helping to represent the expansion of Riley’s teenage emotions. The film continues nicely from the 2015 instillation and adeptly introduces new emotions and storylines for Riley—however I did feel it lacked a slight punch that would take it from good to great. Who cares though? As the film grossed £58,671,272 in the UK alone, and topped the summer box office both in the UK and worldwide (with a global total of $1.6 billion), it was clearly a hit with most viewers. 

Deadpool Vs Wolverine

I couldn’t find two hours of my summer to watch a film starring two characters that I’ve personally never seen any films featuring- but everyone seems to love these guys and it was evident at the box office. With £55,923,935 and counting, the marvel fatigue seems to be gone for most and the return of Hugh Jackman proved to be successful all around for fans and producers.

It Ends With Us

If anything, It Ends With Us is memorable. Whether you saw the film itself, or just the online buzz/drama surrounding its cast, you can’t deny that this film was a moment in pop culture this summer. Blake Lively and the studio had no idea how to promote the film, with a pretty tone-deaf marketing campaign that many worried would have the film dead on arrival. The ‘grab your girls and wear your florals’ campaign felt insenstiive and cliche, and reduced the film to a light-hearted romantic comedy. Having saw the film, I actually thought it represented domestic violence in a nuanced and complex nature, but it’s a shame that almost every other aspect of the film lacked any of the depth it aimed for.  

Longlegs

In my opinion, Longlegs was the horror of the summer. Terrifying, gripping and unique whilst meme-able and marketable, a perfect combination for a box office hit. Nic Cage solidifies himself in this film as the fantastic character actor we knew he was, and Maika Monroe completely devoured her role as a tortured FBI agent with a traumatic and mysterious past. The film surpassed expectations this summer for a relatively small budget indie horror film, making £7,716,995 in the UK and $103.5 million worldwide, becoming Neon’s highest-grossing film to date and the highest rated indie of the year.

Afraid

Making an underwhelming £216,329, it’s clear I wasn’t the only cinema-goer who didn’t care to see another AI inspired horror. However, I bit my tongue and went to see it as a Cineworld unlimited member who wanted to make the most of his subscription, and knew when I walked in late to an AI generated opening credits sequence I was in for hell. In some ways, I actually enjoyed my time watching AfrAId (yes, that’s the actual name) as it had been a while since I had sat down and watched something so absurd. I also loved Havana Rose Liu and her role in this (playing an evil Alexa). Yet, overall, the film struggled to resonate with audiences beyond the UK, making only $8.8 million worldwide on a $12 million budget. 

The box office has risen in importance over the years and now seems to be one of the main success measures of a film for many. Whilst economic and commercial performance is important, and I personally love analyzing the data, as a film’s success shouldn’t solely rely on this. Its quality is also often judged by its commercial success, yet some of my favorite films of the summer—Sing Sing, Kneecap, Problemista, and Babes—prove that a movie can shine without the need for good box office revenue. Films are art, and art is not for profit—although it helps if your art happens to make 1 billion dollars…