What Defines a Successful Movie?

The entertainment industry is highly dependent on the support of the viewing public for it to continue thriving. Movie producers and other members of the movie industry always try their best to come up with film ideas, aspire to give life to their concepts, and transform them into a big hit.

Success is every filmmaker’s and film producer’s goal. However, movie producers as well as people working inside and outside the entertainment industry have different bases as to what truly defines a film’s success. Some say that a film should be critically acclaimedfor it to be considered successful. Others say the income of a movie is the best indicator of its success.

Those who judge a film’s success based on the approval and support of critics say that movie critics are reputable film buffs who hold degrees or higher levels of education in cinematography and film studies. Their thoughts about a film are based on theories and years of experiences that are the most credible bases to evaluate a film’s worth. 

These people add that movies with huge earnings do not necessarily mean they are of high-caliber. Many people watch a film because of the actors and actresses it features or because the film is a movie adaptation of a famous novel. 

Additionally, many high-quality, critically acclaimed, and award-winning independent films are successful. Despite what may be considered poor performances in the box office, many independent films are celebrated as achievements in filmmaking.

On the other hand, those who believe that high earnings define a film’s success say that the profit of the film reflects the support and appreciation it got from the audiences. A film is considered successful once it is called a blockbuster hit. Its gross income declaration and viewer count are more tangible indicators of success as compared to the opinions or reviews of critics.

For these people, films are made primarily for the viewing public. They are made to entertain people and are not intended to please critics. Moreover, film production is not only an art but also a numbers game. The more viewers a film manages to engage, the more successful it is.

Also, these people say that the reviews of movie critics are often subjective claims that may not necessarily agree with other people’s opinions. Purely basing a film’s success on the reviews of a few movie critics is irrational because critics do not always agree on what they find recommendable or not.