Let’s talk classic direct-to-video movies for a moment. American Psycho II: All American Girl (with Mila Kunis and Williams Shatner); Dollman vs. Demonic Toys; Bratz: Starrin’ & Stylin’; Hellraiser 5-10; Amityville 5-19(!), The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It; Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation—they’ve not necessarily been all bad.
There’s plenty of decent animated stuff (Barbie movies, a long-running DC superhero series, some OK Disney sequels, Scooby-Doo, etc.), and the form has been a testing ground for low-budget horror creators of all kinds. There’s also, of course, plenty of straight-up porn—all things that are niche, by definition, but that can sell if marketed to the right audience. And had it been released in theaters, audiences might not have flocked to watch the adventures of previously unseen relatives in American Pie Presents: Band Camp, but it did very well on DVD, thanks, and no, I don’t have a copy sitting around somewhere, what are you talking about?
The rise of streaming has had an interesting effect on the market: One might have assumed the increasing demand for content would’ve led to a glut of cheap crap—and it has, to some extent, but it’s also created tremendous competition for viewers. The pandemic has naturally driven business away from movie theaters, but it only accelerated a trend of good movies never going near your local movie theater. Direct-to-streaming is the most recent evolution of the distribution model that began with VHS tapes way back in the day and then exploded with DVDs. Even if movie theaters survive the next few years, it’ll never again be the case that a movie has to hit the cinema to be considered worthy.
Though they may have seen some film festival screens, or saw limited releases in small venues (just enough to make them eligible for the big awards), the following movies all skipped wide release entirely in favor of going direct to the big streamers. The difference in the kind of stuff we’re seeing now is profound.