I am tired of doing homework every time before watching a movie

There was a time when I could see a movie poster, like the cast, check the showtimes, and go for it. That was it. I would watch the trailer once, maybe I would know the director, and then I would sit in the theatre and let the movie do the work. Lately, though, I have started feeling like I need to prepare for a film before I am allowed to watch it. I need to know what came before, what book it is based on, which characters are connected, and occasionally what happened in a film released eight years ago that I definitely don't remember.

A lot of this comes down to how much of big-screen cinema is now built around existing intellectual property. Sequels, prequels, reboots, spin-offs, adaptations, and shared universes have become a huge part of mainstream moviegoing. In 2026 alone, dozens of sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations have been scheduled across theatres and streaming platforms, from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Avengers: Doomsday to The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

I understand why studios do it. A familiar title comes with an audience that already cares. If I have spent years watching Marvel movies, I am more likely to know who a new character is before the trailer has even finished. If I grew up with Jurassic Park, I already have some emotional investment in the next dinosaur disaster. Franchise cinema gives audiences a reason to turn up, and the numbers show why Hollywood keeps returning to it.

But the problem is what happens when you are a fairly casual moviegoer.

I found myself thinking about this while watching The Odyssey. Christopher Nolan's film is based on Homer's ancient epic, which means you technically don't need to have watched a previous movie or any other spin-off related to the main story. But it still comes with homework. You can go in completely cold, of course, but there is a strange pressure to at least know who Odysseus is, what the Trojan War has to do with everything, and why this particular story has survived for roughly 3,000 years. 

And this is where I miss being able to simply be surprised by a movie. Sometimes I don't want to spend my afternoon rewatching three films before catching the fourth. I don't want to Google a character's family tree during the interval. I don't want to read a 15-minute explainer titled "Everything you need to know before watching..." five minutes before leaving for the theatre. I especially don't want to feel like I am missing something because I did not do enough preparation.

There is something lovely about walking into a film knowing almost nothing and letting the story introduce itself. Of course, franchises can be genuinely fun, and adaptations can introduce people to stories they might never have picked up otherwise. The Odyssey, for instance, has become a massive theatrical success, grossing billions worldwide and becoming one of 2026's biggest films.

I just wish more big movies trusted that a person could walk into a theatre with no notes, no recap, and no prior reading, buy some popcorn, and still have a good time.

Because sometimes I just want to watch a movie. I don't want to study for it first.

Lead image: IMDb

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