What Was the Last Non Disney or MCU Movie That Was a Huge Phenomenon

[MadVillainy]

I was thinking about this the other day, what was the last movie that came out (that wasn't s property owned by Disney) that had everyone talking. All ages, races, genders, etc.?

I had a hard time coming up with an answer that wasn't related to Disney. Maybe Get Out in 2016. Maybe Joker in 2019 but a lot of that was just "controversy." I can think of a bunch of examples for TV (Squid Game, Ted Lasso, Schitt's Creek) but not movies

And to be clear, I'm not talking about what movie grossed the most. It's about the conversation. Like Inception wasn't the highest grossing movie in 2010, but still was talked about to death for almost half the year

 

[DarkKnight88]

A Star is Born hit this zeitgeist of being spoofed and talked about and that song was everywhere.

IT: Chapter One was definitely a huge thing worldwide and even with kids. I see that version of Pennywise still in pop culture and even kid shows.

 

[psylockolussus]

Joker. 1 billion worldwide. Best picture nomination. The Batman wasn't even on it.

 

[MadVillainy]

A Star is Born hit this zeitgeist of being spoofed and talked about and that song was everywhere.

IT: Chapter One was definitely a huge thing worldwide and even with kids. I see that version of Pennywise still in pop culture and even kids shows.

Those are good examples and what I'm talking about

 

[Kane52630]

Last thing I can think of was Squid Game but that's tv.

 

[MadVillainy]

Last thing I can think of was Squid Game but that's tv.

Yup exactly

 

[Kane52630]

It's kinda what the Big Picture pod has always discussed about theatrical movies not being the center of culture anymore aside from Marvel movies. TV being a lot more convenient and accessible helps on word of mouth so there's an advantage on that over movies. And a lot more people nowadays are willing to wait for a movie to show up on a streaming service before they can comment on it so you don't normally have a singular non-Marvel movie that gets everyone talking (and COVID helped accelerated that).

 

[kguillou]

Hmmm good thread and good question!

Slumdog Millionaire? Maybe?

Inception?

Skyfall?

Django Unchained?

 

[DarkKnight88]

I don’t think TV has changed much though in being part of the conversation aka the water cooler at work. Think of how many 80s and 90s TV shows became iconic or memorable episodes even if you never watched (Who Shot JR, etc) Also the fact that there’s just so many more hours of it, people can latch onto it differently.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I think you called it with Get Out. Also with Us. Jordan Peele’s films are becoming must see events.

 

[DarkKnight88]

He’s what M. Night once was after The Sixth Sense but before Lady in the Water.

 

[kguillou]

Inception was definitely a big water cooler type movie. To this day that movie gets quoted and referenced alot in pop culture.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

Post Avatar and outside of TDK I definitely think Inception was one of Nolan's most discussed films at least from what I remember being on IMDB at the time and for the whole year of 2010.

Also, from people I have talked to outside the internet it stills seems to be a personal favorite for a lot of casuals too outside of his Batman trilogy which is something I can't honestly say about any of his later films.

 

[Asr]

Aquaman also made $1B and that wasn't long ago.

Also, Bridgerton on Netflix was all anyone talked about for a while when it was released. Rege-Jean Page even hosted SNL!

 

[Deck Rickard]

Cats.


For all the wrong reasons, but hey.

 

[Kane52630]

And the world hasn't been the same since.

 

[Drizzle]

Apart from what's been listed here I'd also say The Hunger Games. That franchise was huge in the early-mid 2010s. Lines like "May the odds be ever in your favor", "I volunteer as tribute", the whistle music cue, and the three finger salute were pretty recognizable in pop culture. It was also the last truly successful YA series after Harry Potter and Twilight.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

Snyderverse. It was a phenomenon like no other.

 

[psylockolussus]

I think you called it with Get Out. Also with Us. Jordan Peele’s films are becoming must see events.

Eh I haven't heard those being about talked outside of the internet, especially compare to horror movies like A Quiet Place and the Conjuring.

 

[Drizzle]

Snyderverse. It was a phenomenon like no other.

 

[AverageMan]

Knives out had a great cast & Craig's turn as Beniot Blanc had a lot of people talking.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

 

[Batgirl0202]

Interesting topic. And I agree that a movie coming out of left field and becoming a cultural phenomenon is becoming a rarity these days.

I remember as a kid growing up, films like Blair Witch and Sixth Sense were literally everywhere. From other kids geeking out over them at school to my parents nattering away about them at the dinner table, they were completely unavoidable.

And I know we said no Disney/Marvel but Raimi's Spider-Man was a juggernaut during summer '02. I guess we can cheat with that one because it was Sony...

It really does seem like this kind of cultural event doesn't happen much anymore. I suppose movies are just too corporate these days. Everything now is about brand-burnishing and world-building. I do admit to being nostalgic for the days when a film could come out of nowhere and grow an audience organically, based on its own merits.

You might notice also that very few films are joining the cult canon these days either. Films just aren't being given much of a chance to build devoted followings in our current climate, unless they're part of blockbuster franchises.

 

[Drizzle]

Interesting topic. And I agree that a movie coming out of left field and becoming a cultural phenomenon is becoming a rarity these days.

I remember as a kid growing up, films like Blair Witch and Sixth Sense were literally everywhere. From other kids geeking out over them at school to my parents nattering away about them at the dinner table, they were completely unavoidable.

And I know we said no Disney/Marvel but Raimi's Spider-Man was a juggernaut during summer '02. I guess we can cheat with that one because it was Sony...

It really does seem like this kind of cultural event doesn't happen much anymore. I suppose movies are just too corporate these days. Everything now is about brand-burnishing and world-building. I do admit to being nostalgic for the days when a film could come out of nowhere and grow an audience organically, based on its own merits.

You might notice also that very few films are joining the cult canon these days either. Films just aren't being given much of a chance to build devoted followings in our current climate, unless they're part of blockbuster franchises.

Spider-Man was so big that it even eclipsed a Star Wars movie that summer. Granted, it wasn't a hard feat because Episode II had to deal with the fallout of the reception to The Phantom Menace and Spider-Man just generally was better received than Attack of the Clones, but it was still impressive.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

No Time To Die was pretty notable for

Spoiler

killing James Bond

and was the highest grossing movie of the pandemic prior to No Way Home.