Why do you like movies/TV (cinema in general)

[Omar 382]

We're watching a story, that most times, never took place. What happens to these people in this fictional setting does not affect us and our lives. So why do you like them so much (if you do)?

I think comedies are the easiest. We like to laugh. It is a hedonistic pleasure. Furthermore, we like to laugh at situations that don't affect or involve us. It's safe and easy.

Actions are another easy one for me. I don't know exactly why, but for most people, there's something enthralling about watching a shootout or fist fight. It transports us to the fight without actually risking our safety.

So why do people like dramas? I have a couple of ideas, but I just find it interesting because I think they're the hardest genre to pin down why we're interested. Take The Aviator with Leonardo DiCaprio or Spotlight that just came out last year. There's no fights, there's very little humor. Why do we like those movies so much?

 

[chf]

No need to parse it out from what you already wrote. Dramas make you FEEL something, just like comedies and action movies do.

 

[Innermind]

No need to parse it out from what you already wrote. Dramas make you FEEL something, just like comedies and action movies do.

Bingo... correct answer. This applies to ALL art forms. Even if the response is negative as in 'I hate that song', or 'that painting creeps me out'.... this means the artist was successful in eliciting an emotional response from the audience.

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

To put it simply, it's an escape from our personal reality...Films are an art form just like painting, writing, music, cooking, etc...

 

[cezero]

Good writing = good characters = good movie/tv show

if the writing isn't good, then I lose interest really quick, no matter the genre

i think that's true for most people, really, but i think there's a lot of variance for what we consider "good".