Ayo Edebiri’s solution to her biggest issue with Hollywood: “It is really gutting”
Ayo Edebiri might have won audiences over by smashing it out of the fucking park in The Bear and Bottoms, but she is also an accomplished screenwriter, familiar with the inner machinations of an ever-confusing goddamn shitstorm of an industry.
Hollywood is a complicated place, where the desire for fame and fortune often overrides true artistry and creativity. Profit is the name of the game, and you can see this reflected in the current state of movie theatres, which is something that Edebiri has an issue with. You see, huge blockbusters are given priority over smaller movies, dominating screens while those with slightly less commercial appeal are relegated to just a few screenings, if any.
There is also the issue of movies staying in the cinema for such a short period of time, preventing enough people from enjoying a new film on the big screen. That’s unless it’s the latest Marvel movie – then it’ll linger for ages like the smell of stale popcorn spilt down the back of your seat. And what about reruns of old classics?
Sure, your local indie cinema might be more likely to do this, but wouldn’t it be perfect if more hidden gems and undiscovered potential favourites were regularly screened at chain cinemas, allowing you to easily see movies that you might never have thought yourself able to see on the big screen?
When asked by El País what she would change about Hollywood if she had the chance, Edebiri said, “I would make it so there would be more movies in theatres for longer amounts of time, and that studio heads really prioritised that and cared about that.” She added, “Some of the most formative experiences of my life have been in communal spaces, there is a magic that happens when you see movies as they’re supposed to be seen, with people in a theatre.”
There’s something unforgettable about watching a film in the cinema, surrounded by strangers. I’ll never forget being absolutely floored by The Piano Teacher at my local indie picture house – the silence as the credits rolled was deafening, everyone shuffling out utterly gobsmacked. That moment made me love Michael Haneke’s masterpiece even more, and reminded me just how powerful it is to witness a truly great film on the big screen.
“It is really gutting when there’s a movie that changed your life and it’s in one theatre for one week. All of our attention spans are getting shot by the day. [The cinema is] a really sacred space where you get to be off your phone, away from all the distractions,” Edebiri continued.
Certainly, we’re becoming increasingly controlled by our short attention spans, formed by short-form content dominating our feeds every day, from brain-rotting Instagram reels to mindless TikTok trends. What we need is to be forced away from our devices, and the cinema gives you no choice (unless you’re one of those despicable people who refuse to put their phone away), allowing you to sink into a dark room and soak up a film that has the potential to change your life.
