Via Bridgerton, IMAX, İNZİLE DAL
Scrolling through your, probably many, streaming platforms right now would prove that it takes a while to find anything that isn't a dystopian thriller, a sci-fi drama about the risks of technology, or something with a dark twist at the end that’s designed to leave us emotionally queasy. While there is a place for all of these, and we definitely enjoy and appreciate this variety of media, it’s also important to remember that sometimes people don’t want to feel so intellectually challenged while watching TV. Show creators love it when their baffled audience asks, “Wait, what just happened?” after every extremely intricate episode. What happened to creating something that simply makes people feel joyful? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to invoke strong feelings within your audience, yet, recently, happiness has been continuously ignored as one of the strongest emotions of all.
The cynicism of Hollywood
In case you haven’t noticed, the sense of humanity’s impending doom is growing bigger and bigger with every passing day. AI is taking over jobs, everyone is miserable over a lonely baby monkey in a zoo in Japan, and a former president of the USA recently confirmed the existence of aliens, and those are just the tip of the iceberg. We rarely get to catch a break from these threats. Instead of offering an escape from the horrors of reality, the entertainment industry has decided to lean into them even further and translate them onto the screen. Apple TV’s Pluribus introduced us to the possibility of Earth being invaded by an alien hivemind; Black Mirror’s scenarios are becoming more reality than fiction; and let’s not forget the intensity that is happening in an average episode of The Pitt. Sure, these are all highly acclaimed pieces of media that audiences truly enjoy, but putting them all together only emphasizes Hollywood’s neglect of one main genre: Romance.
Before you bring up Wuthering Heights, the “romance” film that was just released in theatres, let us agree that this movie is not the kind of romance that makes anyone feel happy. While it’s technically a love story, it is also dark, unsettling, and incredibly sad. If the audience is leaving the theatre with tears in their eyes, regardless of whether they liked the film or not, it doesn’t count as “feel good” media. It’s not what is desperately missing from Hollywood’s romance repertoire.
What is actually missing from our screens
When Heated Rivalry, a Canadian TV show about the romance between two rival hockey players, graced our screens at the end of last year and became a universal obsession, many people theorized on what made this show so popular. It wasn’t just the chemistry or the wonderful queer representation, it was also that the show provided the world with exactly what it so desperately craved: A romance with a “hopecore” mindset and a happy ending. Here was a beautiful love story that didn’t shy away from struggle or tension, while also remaining positive. This show ensured people were left feeling like love still exists in the world, and that everyone deserves a chance at happiness.
The continued success of Netflix’s Bridgerton is also a great example of the kind of love stories Hollywood is missing. The show’s fourth season, which was just released on the streaming platform, introduced to the faithful audience a new and magical Cinderella-esque story. Everyone who watches Bridgerton knows that each season ends with a happy ending for a different main character, and fans all love it. The audience is not looking for a tragedy or waiting for the other shoe to drop. They are watching a love story develop, fully knowing it will end in happiness. And there isn’t a single thing wrong with that.
Even while watching the silly romantic film, People We Meet on Vacation (based on the novel by Emily Henry), people reportedly left feeling more comforted than after watching most of the highly acclaimed TV shows and films of the past year. Can anyone truly say they felt comforted after watching Hamnet, or One Battle After Another, the two features that recently won a Golden Globe? Perhaps if a “Best Romance” category is added to the entertainment industry’s many award shows, Hollywood would feel more inclined to create more good ones. Why should dramas and comedies get all the attention?
Audiences are flocking to hopeful, romantic pieces like these for the promise that the rug won’t be pulled out from under them. You can build tension and leave the audience on the edge of their seats, and still ensure that the payoff is worth it. In a world that already feels so unstable, there’s something reassuring about a safe love story with a satisfying ending. Not every piece of media needs to shock the audience. Some of us just want a classic slow burn, with grand gestures, and the reassurance that love can still win against all odds, even if it’s just on screen.
