What is counterprogramming in Film & Television?
One of the many takeaways from the astronomical success of the “Barbenheimer” meme in July 2023 was the resurgence of counterprogramming at the movies. In the most simplistic of explanations, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie appealed to younger audiences, especially young women, as well as families, while Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer was geared towards adults, academics, and film bros. Of course, there were plenty of other factors that contributed to the achievements of both films: The intellectual property, the reputation of the filmmakers, the humorous memes, etc.
However, at the heart of counterprogramming is the idea that despite both programs individually attracting different groups of people, their pairing lifts the profiles of both works. Seeing both Barbie and Oppenheimer felt like a packaged deal, and it was ultimately beneficial for both projects. People who may not have ever considered seeing a movie about a doll ended up wanting to see what all the fuss was about, which certainly helped Barbie become the highest-grossing movie of 2023. On the other hand, Oppenheimer made far more money at the box-office than your average 3-hour historical epic where mostly men in suits discuss nuclear physics.
A year and a half later, film lovers are still processing the success of “Barbenheimer.” Just last month, many audiences were hopeful that the pairing of Gladiator II and Wicked—or “Glicked,” as some folks called it—would capture the zeitgeist in a similar way,
However, “Glicked” never really took off. Wicked certainly made a lot of money, and Gladiator II was still the biggest box-office opening of Ridley Scott’s long-running career. However, excitement over Wicked and its endlessly memeable press tour seemed to eclipse the profile of Gladiator II, which also suffered from a more mixed critical reception. Any cinephiles hoping for that pairing to be the next “Barbenheimer” were likely disappointed and left to look for a different combination of projects to fill that void. That’s where “Babyratu” comes in.
The Unlikely Duo of Babygirl and Nosferatu
There is a plethora of movies to see with your family this Christmas, but what about the fully grown adults who want a break from holiday classics and family-friendly material? This December, A24 and Focus Features are taking risks, strategically choosing to capitalize on this niche demographic during the most family-friendly time of the year.
Halina Reijn’s Babygirl could be considered a sort of Christmas movie in the sense that there’s an office holiday party in the film and a Christmas tree in the background of the main character’s apartment throughout. But that’s about as festive as it gets. Is a seductive thriller about a CEO’s affair with an intern really what people want to see on Christmas? If you’re a chronically online cinephile, the answer is yes. The film, a surprisingly profound exploration of female desire, is a subversive choice for a Christmas movie, and yet, this choice seems to have only made fans more excited about it. The tagline, “This Christmas, get exactly what you want” cleverly puts the mature subject matter in direct conversation with the family-friendly holiday. It’s intentional, self-aware counterprogramming for adults who may desperately need to feel like adults for two hours after too much time with parents and children.
Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu also has a dark, sensual component to it. Not even the 1922 silent film, upon which this version is based, makes for family-friendly material. Eggers’s work is notably frightening and violent, and reviews indicate that his Nosferatu is no exception. Its R-rated material has not been softened for the holiday season. Like the marketing for Babygirl, the release strategy for Nosferatu is committed to catering to a niche crowd of cinephiles looking for something provocative and well-crafted on their day off. The film’s star, Lily-Rose Depp, recently commented on the “Babyratu” of it all, saying “I know they’re our competitor, but Halina [Reijn] and I were saying we’re going to be like Babyratu—we’re going to be the new Barbenheimer.”
Of course, from a box-office perspective, there is no way either of these films will compare to the monetary success of Barbie or Oppenheimer, but A24 and Focus Features must be aware of this. Sure, there are genre elements to Babygirl and Nosferatu that may allow for some box-office appeal, but they’re still arthouse films at their core.
So why is “Babyratu” a stronger pairing than “Glicked” despite its lower profile? Well, there seems to be genuine enthusiasm for both projects in more-or-less equal measure; in that regard, “Babyratu” makes for a far more successful comparison to “Barbenheimer” than “Glicked” ever could even on this smaller scale. However, at the end of the day, what really seems to be enticing fans of “Babyratu” is this undeniably interesting and effective exercise in counterprogramming, one that continues to amuse film lovers with its self-aware marketing and its unapologetically subversive choice of a Christmas release date.
Sure, it might be expected for you to stay in and sit by a cozy fire to watch It’s a Wonderful Life for the millionth time, but wouldn’t it be more fun to do the unexpected this year and watch a dark, spicy thriller and an epic, gothic horror film? “Babyratu” offers film lovers what they really want this Christmas: A subversive thrill ride.
Thumbnail Attribution: Alamo Drafthouse NYC