Can original films save moviegoing as the Hollywood franchise era cracks? 

Now, that spark has become a flame thanks to a trio of highly original, wildly different genre films currently dominating the conversation: “Obsession,” “Backrooms” and the recently released “Leviticus.”

A trio of unique voices

What makes these three films so fascinating is how they contrast, demonstrating exactly what a talented director can do when left to their own devices. Each provides a uniquely strong, fierce voice for original filmmaking.

• “Obsession”: A masterclass in classic, sweaty-palmed tension. Structurally, it plays like a traditional narrative film, reminiscent of a dark-era Stephen King short story adaptation. It is intimate, character-driven and relies on the slow, agonizing ratcheting of people going batshit crazy.

• “Backrooms”: A completely different beast. Colder and deeply metaphysical, it strips away conventional narrative storytelling to explore alienation and existential dread. (Oh, and people go batshit crazy here, too.) It’s an unsettling, clinical piece of work that would make Stanley Kubrick smile.

• “Leviticus”:  Now that it is finally out, it rounds out this trifecta beautifully. While marketed as a horror film, it works much more effectively as a deeply moving queer romance layered with horror elements. It’s a film that masterfully sneaks up on you, quietly building its characters before delivering an absolute emotional wallop revolving around toxic homophobia and religious intolerance.

With the success of these three films, hopefully, studio suits are realizing that the old cash cows are running dry.

Look no further than the recent box office turbulence of “The Mandalorian & Grogu.” While I found the film to be a perfectly fun, breezy bit of sci-fi, it was ultimately an episodic affair.

It wasn’t surprising that it struggled to find a massive theatrical audience; it felt like three television episodes stitched together with a blockbuster budget.

Audiences are tired of paying theater prices for content they can get on their couches.

The master returns

Even the old guard is proving that original ideas still hold the crown. Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” has finally arrived, proving once again that the old master can still make great, popular action movies packed with genuine heart and big ideas.

Is it Spielberg’s best film in 20 years? Let’s not go that far. The masterful “Lincoln,” the very good “Bridge of Spies” and the deeply personal “The Fabelmans” still sit at the top notch of 21st Century Spielberg.

Even if “Disclosure Day” doesn’t clear his highest career bars, its triumph lies in its execution — it is a blockbuster with a soul, operating on a level of craft that franchise filmmaking rarely touches anymore.

The communal moviegoing experience

Original films like “Obsession,” “Backrooms,” “Leviticus” and “Disclosure Day” thrive on discovery. They ask audiences to surrender to an unfamiliar world rather than consume another chapter in a story they already know.
In a theater, that act of discovery becomes communal. You can feel an audience leaning forward during a tense scene, hear nervous laughter ripple through a room or sense collective discomfort when a film takes an unexpected turn.

That’s something no streaming service can reproduce. If theaters are going to remain relevant, they need movies that offer experiences rather than just content.

So here’s my maybe Pollyannish hope: 2026 is officially marking the comeback of the moviegoing experience. In the coming months, we still have Christopher Nolan pushing the boundaries of scale yet again with “The Odyssey.”

The era of the IP franchise fan service isn’t entirely dead, of course, but the auteur is officially fighting back. It turns out that perhaps the best way to save the theatrical experience isn’t to make the movies bigger, but to make them bolder. And better.

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