Can Movies Become 'Modern Myths' Again? Hollywood After Streaming: Stagnation and Reversal
Marc Andreessen says, 'Movies have taken over the role that ancient myths and legends played in the modern world.'
A hundred years ago, it was novels that carried the records and symbols of culture, but since the latter half of the 20th century, film has become the medium that encapsulates the spirit of civilization. According to him, movies are not just entertainment but a 'mirror of civilization,' serving as a clue for future generations 100 or 200 years from now to understand 'what people at the time believed, what they feared, and what they dreamed of.'
However, Andreessen points out that film culture has changed significantly over the last decade.
He notes that 'good movies seem to have suddenly disappeared,' especially since 2019, and attributes this to structural changes in Hollywood.
1. Three Tectonic Shifts That Changed Hollywood
1-1. The 'Upside' Taken Away by Streaming
Netflix and Disney+and other streaming wars initially brought vast amounts of capital to Hollywood.
However, the revenue structure has changed dramatically. Traditional films could accumulate profits through a 'long tail' of 'theatrical revenue → TV rights → DVD → reruns,' but streaming ends with a 'buyout cost + a few percent profit' model.
Andreessen says this mechanism has stripped away the incentive to create 'challenging and risky works,' effectively removing the 'spirit of adventure' from Hollywood.
1-2. 'The Message' — The Dominance of Cultural Ideology
What he emphasized most is a phenomenon called'The Message'.Many recent films have leaned more toward presenting political and social messages than storytelling, repeating fixed values such as 'white people are evil,' 'men are perpetrators,' and 'America is an oppressor.'
The more critics praise a work, the more 'dogmatic' it becomes, and the freedom of art is lost.
As a result, filmmakers have begun producing works under the fear that 'a single word could end their career.'
He describes this as a 'cultural reign of terror in Hollywood.'
1-3. The Post-COVID Void and 'Past Works' Emerging Late
It is true that many audiences have left theaters, but Andreessen says, 'COVID was not the cause, but an accelerator.'
Since film production usually takes 4 to 5 years, many of the works released in 2024 were planned before 2020.
In other words, the 'movies of old values' currently lining the screens are 'time capsules' that are extensions of the past.
2. The 'Post-Message Era' and New Trends
2-1. 'Sobered Enthusiasm' and the Next Wave
As of 2025, there are many voices within Hollywood saying that 'the heat has cooled down.'
A common understanding is spreading among producers and screenwriters that 'audiences are no longer moved by message movies,' and a 'depoliticization' is gradually underway.
Andreessen predicts, 'The same types of movies will likely continue to be released out of inertia for the next three years or so, but a truly new group of works will emerge around 2028.'
2-2. Signs of Reversal: The Exception of 'Eddington'
He cited the film 'Eddington' by young director Eric Aster as a source of 'hope.'
This work is said to be the 'first art film' to directly depict the reality of the past five years, including the George Floyd incident, COVID, the Trump era, and social media culture.
Andreessen praised it, saying, 'I finally saw reality on the screen,' and described it as 'a film equivalent to the Great American Novel' of the AI era.'
2-3. The Revival of Comedy and 'Ordinary People'
Furthermore, he points out, 'We can finally make comedies again.'
Laughter lies in 'poking at sanctuaries,' but that has been impossible in recent years.
However, the 2025 reboot of 'Naked Gun' broke that atmosphere and succeeded as pure entertainment.
Andreessen positions this as a 'symbol of the post-message movie.'
3. AI and the Future of Film — Toward a New 'Myth'
While some in Hollywood view AI as a threat, Andreessen says, 'AI will democratize film.'
'We are entering an era where creators who have neither cameras nor actors can make movies with just an idea.'
Just as the creators of 'South Park' once opened up a new era with inexpensive equipment and irony, AI will bring about a 'renaissance of personal film.'
This means the end of an era where only studios determine culture.
4. Conclusion: Toward an Era of Creating 'Myths' Again
What Andreessen repeatedly appeals to is the belief that 'film is a mirror of civilization.'
If Hollywood can escape the prison of political morality and depict real people and society once again,
movies will regain their power as 'myths.'
The next stories woven by AI and a new generation of directors might,
once again, etch the 'spirit of the times' into people's hearts.