How far away the time when the American Pie (Graduation Madness), The Hangover (the day after) and other histrionic pranks from south of the border drove crowds to movie theaters in Quebec. Genre loathed by critics, but very popular just 10 years ago, mainstream American comedy has now practically disappeared from the big screens.
“A few years ago, the big fashion in Hollywood was disaster films, and now you hardly see them anymore. The same goes for war movies. Today, it looks like it’s the comedy that goes by the wayside. It’s cyclical,” notes Frédéric Venne, co-president of Groupe RGFM, which manages four movie theaters outside Montreal.
Admittedly, comedy has always performed less well at the box office than action films or science fiction. But not so long ago, there were still a few American comedies in the list of the most popular films of the year in Quebec, like rude Scary Movie 4 (scary movie 4) in 2006 or even the very slight firstSex and the City (Sex in New York) in 2008. But since the mid-2010s, shortly after the detective comedy 22 Jump Street with Channing Tatum was hugely successful, it seems Hollywood has gradually moved away from the genre — with the notable exception of 2020, when the pandemic delayed blockbuster releases and forced theater operators to come up with a plan B.
But otherwise, the few American comedies that are released in theaters often struggle to find their audience in Quebec. With proof easter sunday (Easter Sunday) with American comedian Jo Koy, who experienced a monumental failure when it was released less than two weeks ago.
“It’s true that there are fewer frank comedies than before. That doesn’t mean, however, that people don’t want to laugh anymore. But now, comedy often tends to crossover with another genre. There are superhero movies that are funny. The upcoming romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney, Ticket to Paradiseit is also an adventure film. [L’humoriste] Kevin Hart, for example, no longer does big comedies like Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler at the time, but we will see him in a family film like Jumanji “, illustrates Denis Hurtubise, co-president of the Association of cinema owners of Quebec.
Netflix generation
The growth of video-on-demand platforms could also partly explain why there have been fewer comedies in theaters in recent years. Adam Sandler, one of the most popular American comic actors of the 1990s and 2000s, is also under contract with Netflix, which exclusively broadcasts his new films.
What’s the point of going to the cinema in 2022 to listen to films that you can just as easily watch in the comfort of your living room? Unlike action movies and science fiction, what is the added value of watching a comedy on the big screen?
The United States is increasingly fractured. It’s not the same thing that makes people laugh anymore.
“I don’t think the platforms have anything to do with it,” retorts Vincent Guzzo, owner of the cinema chain of the same name. Recalling that Netflix refuses to share its viewing figures, the businessman doubts that Adam Sandler’s new comedies will achieve the expected success. According to him, the decline in interest in Hollywood comedy is very real, and the problem is much deeper than a simple question of format. “The United States is increasingly fractured. It’s not the same thing that makes people laugh anymore. And it shows in the sitcoms on television, as with comedies in the cinema. We only target very specific audiences – the Latino community, for example,” continues Vincent Guzzo.
In Quebec, things are quite different, he insists, and Quebec films with the most commercial potential remain comedies. Nevertheless Vanishing lines or Arlette don’t have much to do withare Good Cop, Bad Cop and From father to cop of this world. Is pure comedy giving way to dramatic comedy?