In a recent interview with Elle magazine, Jodie Foster called the dominance of superhero movies in recent years a "phase," one that's overstayed its welcome in her opinion.
The Nyad actor explained:
“It’s a phase."
"It’s a phase that’s lasted a little too long for me, but it’s a phase, and I’ve seen so many different phases."
While Foster recognizes the entertainment value of some of the films, she added that the movies aren't life-changing.
“Hopefully people will be sick of it soon."
"The good ones — like ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Black Panther,’ ‘The Matrix’ — I marvel at those movies, and I’m swept up in the entertainment of it, but that’s not why I became an actor."
"And those movies don’t change my life. Hopefully there’ll be room for everything else.”
Some people on social media understand Foster's position on superhero movies.
@Variety Foster is correct in that genres go through cycles. Disney/Marvel/Lucasfilm underperforming box office and Iger\u2019s excuses point out a couple of problems: 1) an unhealthy addiction to expensive sequels, and 2) a disconnection between their movies\u2019 content and cultural context.— (@)
Others, however, argue that not all films have to be life-altering. Sometimes, people just want a feel-good movie with some action and a little humor.
@Variety They\u2019re movies not therapy , they\u2019re not a life changing experience. \u201cThose movies don\u2019t change my life\u201d continues the trend of big names trying to belittle the genre simply because they either don\u2019t like it or haven\u2019t done anything that connects with the audience for decades— (@)
@Variety Because they are FOR CHILDREN.\n\nThese movies are not supposed to \u201cchange your life\u201d if you\u2019re over the age of 10, it\u2019s supposed to be a fun way to kill a few hours.\n\nAdults REALLY need to deal with the fact that pop culture isn\u2019t designed for them anymore.— (@)
So what film has most recently met Foster's life-changing standard of cinema?
That would be last year's Best Picture Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, which racked up seven Academy Awards, 11 nominations and over $140 million worldwide.
Foster gushed:
“The Daniels. They made my favorite movie perhaps of all time, ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.'"
“That’s the film that I will return to over and over again whenever I feel depressed or sad.”
She continued:
“I first saw it with one of my sons, and we held hands and pinched each other and cried for 45 minutes afterward."
“And then I saw it with my other son a week later, and it just opened a portal of connection and understanding and hope."
"He started telling me everything from his high school that he’d never told me, and we were walking in the rain crying and opening up. And I was like, ‘This is what film can do.'”
Up next for Foster is headlining True Detective Season 4 set to be released January 14, 2024 on HBO.
Her movie Nyad released last month is currently streaming on Netflix.
