Why we should stop saying movies aren’t as good as they used to be

By Alex Wiggan

You hear it said time and time again (especially over social media): “Movies just aren’t as good as they used to be”. Well, do you believe it? Personally I don’t.

Sure, some rubbish movies are being served up, especially on some of the streaming services (all eyes on Netflix), but there is plenty of gold out there. You may have to look for it, and you might need some gentle pointing in the right direction from time-to-time, but the film industry continues to offer up plenty of top tier entertainment, just as it always has.

How do I know? Well, firstly because I watch and review a heck of a lot of movies each year, so I get to see the best and worst films every 365 days. There are some utter rotters, but they are plenty of gems too.

But also because of this…

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Ambitious movies

Hollywood might be interested in cutting corners far too often, but it still throws money at big franchises. And when the money is being tossed around, we get some really ambitious movies.

The most obvious example is the Mission: Impossible films, which have built themselves up to become arguably the best action movie series of contemporary times. They certainly serve up eye-popping spectacle that no other series (outside of the Bond franchise) can match.

But beyond Mission: Impossible, we get things like Avengers: Endgame, which was the culmination of a 22-film story arc; The Lord of the Rings trilogy which brought to life a collection of books which previously seemed unfilmable; and even something like Barbie, which made a decades old doll seem extremely relevant, as well as a box-office winner!

Genuinely weird films

Barbie is a great example of a somewhat odd film being presented to the mainstream, but when it comes to the film industry there are plenty of movies out there which are even weirder. One of them is Backrooms, which really caught the attention of audiences during summer 2026.

Turns out, we really like weird films. And if the film industry was dead, we wouldn’t be getting this sort of thing at all.

Great horror

Another movie which caught the attention of audiences this summer was the horror film, Obsession. The movie was produced on a relatively small budget but became a colossal hit, and demonstrated the sheer creativity on offer in the horror genre.

Horror has been pumping out so many good films as of late, from Get Out and Hereditary to Weapons, Sinners, Heretic, and Bring Her Back, amongst others. If you’re not paying attention to this genre, you’re missing out on a collection of brilliant films.

Animation for all

As well as hot horror, we are also being presented with some truly wonderful animated movies – including animation for all-ages. The Spider-Verse films are the obvious example, but Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Wild Robot, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Soul, Luca, Hoppers, KPop Demon Hunters, the Minions movies, and countless anime are also out there for adults and children to enjoy together.

Comic book movies with different tones

Comic book movies are still the most popular genre at the moment (outside of horror), and while some film fans will tell you the sheen has fallen off this area of the film industry, the box-office results tell a different story. Just look at Spider-Man: Brand New Day which became a phenomenal success during summer 2026 and is now one of the highest grossing movies of all time.

But the great thing about comic book movies is how this particular genre manages to switch tones regularly, to ensure audiences aren’t just getting offered up the same old thing.

You want a spy thriller? Then have Captain America: The Winter Soldier. You want a space fantasy? Then Guardians of the Galaxy should do the trick. And if you want a comedy, how about Deadpool?

Decent legacy sequels

And then in addition to the above, we are also getting some decent legacy sequels. Scream and Scream VI have proved it’s possible to revive a long-running franchise and make it fun, while Top Gun: Maverick, Creed, Evil Dead Rise, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Coming 2 America, and one or two others have made it clear bringing back franchises from the olden days ain’t a bad thing.

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OK, so we’re living through an interesting and tumultuous time, where many of us don’t know what’s coming next, but it is a time which is producing a great deal of creativity. It’s also worth noting we are in a golden age of geek nostalgia too, where many of us are seeing properties from our childhood continue to thrive.

Star Trek? Thriving. Transformers? Huge. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Also huge.

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Avengers, X-Men, and Spider-Man? Still ruling the roost – especially Spidey, who is arguably the biggest super hero right now with box office clout and stellar merchandise sales.

Godzilla is also doing well, as is The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, James Bond, Dungeons & Dragons, the Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, and of course, Star Wars. Today’s nostalgia isn’t just about a particular decade anymore, there is so much multi-generational appeal, and it’s bringing us so many great stories.

Plus, you can now go back and watch the entire history of a franchise, and see how far things have progressed. Sure, there might be misfires here and there, but some of these franchises are still delivering hits, meaning Hollywood must be doing something right.

So, next time someone tells you they don’t make great films anymore, tell them they are clearly looking in the wrong place. Advise them to go to the cinema more often, tell them to rent films, tell them to go back to buying discs, or just tell them what brilliant movies there are out there – because there are plenty!

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