It’s been a big summer for movies. Some major titles were released, and Hollywood made a lot of money (like, a lot). Was it a good summer, though? Depends on who you ask. But before we start asking questions, let’s look at the top movies this summer, financially and critically. And just so you’re not disappointed, Avengers: Endgame and its mammoth $2,796 million earnings will not be on the list since it was released before the traditional summer months of May, June, July, and August. But with that out of the way, let’s look at what we got:
Top 10 Domestic:
10. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Gross: $110.5 million)
9. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Gross: $123.2 million)
8. Pokemon Detective Pikachu (Gross: $144.1 million)
7. The Secret Life of Pets 2 (Gross: $147.6 million)
6. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Gross: $157.4 million)
5. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Gross: $170.8 million)
4. Aladdin (Gross: $353.9 million)
3. Spider-Man: Far from Home (Gross: $379.8 million)
2. Toy Story 4 (Gross: $426.7 million)
1. The Lion King (Gross: $510.6 million)
Top 10 Worldwide:
10. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Gross: $321.6 million)
9. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Gross: $385.9 million)
8. The Secret Life of Pets 2 (Gross: $421.1 million)
7. Pokemon Detective Pikachu (Gross: $431.6 million)
9. Ne Zha (Gross: $584.9 million)
6. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Gross: $684.3 million)
4. Aladdin (Gross: $1,044.1 million)
3. Toy Story 4 (Gross: $1,044.3 million)
2. Spider-Man: Far from Home (Gross: $1,122.2 million)
1. The Lion King (Gross: $1,564.5 million)
All right, so what can we take away from this? First, American movies play well in China and make lots of money there; Chinese movies do not accomplish the inverse. Secondly, movies with more CGI and spectacle translate better overseas while the Keanaissance and Tarantino do not. Something else worth noticing is that Disney (Buena Vista Studios) did very well. In fact, it dwarfed the competition. No studio has ever had the top three movies of the domestic summer (Lion King, Toy Story 4, Aladdin), and additionally, they directly profit from the only other movie to cross a billion worldwide (Spider-Man). Lastly, as you’ve undoubtedly noticed, nine of the eleven movies on these lists are based on existing properties, six of them being sequels.
For the curious, it’s hard to pin down exactly what the biggest flop of the summer is as many studios don’t release their production budget and the advertising expenses can only be estimated. But, some have speculated that the last of the Fox X-Men series, Dark Phoenix, will lose over $100 million this year. That hurts.
Now let’s look at the top movies by critical consensus:
Top 10 by RottenTomatoes:
10. Blinded by the Light (88%)
9. Non-Fiction (89%)
8. Rocketman (89%)
7. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (90%)
6. Spider-Man: Far From Home (90%)
5. The Last Black Man in San Francisco (93%)
4. Wild Rose (93%)
3. Booksmart (97%)
2. Toy Story 4 (97%)
1. The Farewell (99%)
This list has plenty of movies that most of you have probably not seen, and some that you definitely should. (You should always support quality films before they’re released to DVD.)
The disconnect between these lists should be mildly disconcerting, but not too much so. We should always strive to support movies that are good, so that good movies continue to be made. But it also makes sense that explosions and special effects are what I need to see with my friends on a screen and are worth seeing in theaters.
I don’t think I’m terribly pleased with this summer. With the exception of the Tarantino film, I don’t see any of these movies lasting, continuing to be discussed in coming month or certainly years (and that includes the critically acclaimed lot). Endgame was an excellent blockbuster and most of the good dramas will come out in the fall and winter. But the summer movie season is supposed to be a special time of year for movies. Maybe will have better luck next year.