Movie Trend Alert: 2023's Highest-Grossing Films Have This One Thing in Common (Besides, Ya Know, Making Money)

While we love a goodThrowback Thursdayas much as the next person, has anyone else noticed that the films this year have gotten a liiittle out of hand when it comes to serving up nostalgia? And no, we’re not just talking about thelive-actionLittle Mermaidhere.

In what is perhaps the most under-talked-aboutmovie trend of 2023,几乎每一个人of the year’s top films is playing on our fondness for ‘80s, ‘90s and early-‘00s nostalgia. Think we’re exaggerating? Take a look at thetop 25 highest grossing films of the yearso far. Nearly all of them have one thing in common…yup, they’re pandering (quite successfully we might add) to our desire for a simpler time, when the extent of our responsibilities involved brushing Barbie’s hair and choosing which character to be while playingSuper Mario Bros. 2on Nintendo.

Obviously, nothing says “remember when…” quite like the highest-grossing film of the year,Barbie, which hasbrought in more than $1.3 billionand has made star Margot Robbie thehighest-paid actressin Hollywood. Then we’ve got the number-two movie,The Super Mario Bros., wherenon-Italian-citizen Chris Prattvoices Mario himself. This film screams nostalgia for those who have been fans ofthe OG gamesince its debut in 1983.

If we skip over the number three movie,Oppenheimer, which certainly counts as a throwback, but probably doesn’t qualify as a “nostalgia-fest,” we then get a whole lot more of this trend. According toRedbook, the fourth through seventh highest-grossing films of 2023 areGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3(a film all about mix-tapes and classic rock),Fast X(another entry in theFast and the Furiousuniverse that first debuted in 2001),Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse(ahem, childhood memories) and the live-actionLittle Mermaid(a remake that plays on our affinity for the 1989 original).

But the trend doesn’t stop there.Also, in thetop 25? A newMission: Impossible(the franchise debuted in ’96), aShrekspinoff (we first heard Mike Myers say “Donkey” back in 2001), anotherTransformers(remember the toys and the ‘80s cartoon?!), anotherCreed(经典的剥离Rocky), anotherIndiana Jones, anotherScream,Dungeons & Dragons…ANOTHERTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Beyond the biggest box office hits, even some of the moderately successful movies of 2023 were throwbacks with anotherExorcist, anotherMagic Mikeand a beautiful film version ofAre You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Just listing them all has us worn out.

One might think, “This trend is nothing new.” However, a look atlast year’s top filmsreveals there weremanymore high-grossing movies that weren’t simple nostalgia-plays in 2022 than in 2023:Uncharted,Bullet Train,The Lost City,M3GAN,Smile…With so many of this year’s biggest hits following the same trend, it’s a wonder audiences haven’t grown sick of seeing rehashed franchises and heartstring-pulling childhood throwbacks. But clearly we have not. Based off these numbers, it seems likely that this trend will continue well into 2024 and beyond. Let’s just hope our legs don’t get tired on what is bound to be a非常long stroll down memory lane.