Are Movies Art or Business? What Should We Care About as Consumers?

I’ve been thinking a lot about movies lately – not just watching them, but really thinking about what they mean to us. You know how sometimes you’re scrolling through reviews before deciding to watch something, and you catch yourself wondering: “Wait, why do I care what others think?” That got me down a rabbit hole of questioning the whole movie-watching experience.

Here’s the thing: we often treat movies as either pure art or just business ventures, but reality isn’t that neat. Take Lover and Lubber Pandhu – these films gained traction simply because early viewers and online reviews gave them momentum. Meanwhile, many producers will avoid working with Kumararaja (the converse is also true though) despite making two critically acclaimed movies Aaranya Kaandam and Super Deluxe. Why? Because somewhere between art and commerce, money talks.

But let’s get real – most of us don’t think about box office numbers when we’re settling in with popcorn. We’re there for the story, the visuals, the performances. Yet even this simple act of enjoyment has an economic angle. Whether we’re buying a ticket or subscribing to a streaming service, we’re paying them our hard earned money just to see what they have made.

This gets especially interesting when we look at indie films versus blockbusters. Every ticket for films like Pizza and Soodhu Kavvum practically helped keep the lights on for both the creator and the producer. But then you have something like GOAT or any big hero movie recently going on to become the highest grossing movie of the year despite the scathing reviews. It’s like two different worlds operating under the same roof.

The indie vs. blockbuster divide raises another question: should we consume different types of movies differently? I mean, that small-budget indie film might desperately need your theater ticket, while that big-hero movie is probably going to make bank anyway. So does that change our necessity to pay for stuff that only needs our money or are we paying for the art as a principle? I used to be vehemently against movie piracy because of the impact it had on the makers’ lives. But with the current economics of movies and how insured a lot of those are in terms of breaking even or even making profits, should piracy even be considered a sin anymore?

Here’s what fascinates me: movies are simultaneously products and art. Creators can’t completely ignore commercial viability – no one’s going to fund a director who doesn’t know how to make money from his movies. But should producers only care about the money? It’s like watching a tightrope walk between artistic vision and commercial success.

Should we expect movies to prioritize art over business? Every decision—casting a star, choosing a release date—is a calculated move to maximize profit. So, where does that leave the notion of a “good movie”? Good is subjective, but box office numbers are hard data. They show how many people paid to watch, but financial success doesn’t always mean cultural impact. Look at Kamal’s films like Virumandi or Hey Ram. They initially underperformed but gained massive acclaim later. Conversely, some box office hits (you probably can’t even remember the names of a few) vanish into obscurity despite their financial triumphs.

And here’s where we, the audience, come in. Our choices are quietly shaping the industry. The rise of pan-India blockbusters? That’s partly on us. The success of unconventional films like Maanagaram? That’s us too. Every ticket we buy, every review we share, every streaming choice we make – it all sends a message about what kind of movies we want to see more of.

But should this make watching movies feel like homework? God, no. At their heart, movies are about stories that move us, characters that stay with us, and moments that take our breath away. The business side? It’s there, but it doesn’t have to dominate our experience.

So, what should we care about? Maybe everything, maybe nothing. It’s all part of the endless tug-of-war between art and commerce. And honestly, isn’t that just another reason to love movies?