Is Anti-Intellectualism Killing Indie Cinema? 🎬
Exploring how anti-intellectualism impacts modern cinema and threatens indie films' future amid a rise in dumbed-down content.

ThatGirlDaria
10.5K views • Jun 27, 2025

About this video
Are we too dumb for good cinema now?
This video dives into the rise of anti-intellectualism and how it's shaping (and killing) modern cinema — from Marvel blockbusters to the slick branding of A24 “indie” films. Let’s talk about why smart movies are disappearing, how “authenticity” became a product, and what it means to be a cinephile in an age of aesthetic consumption.
💗 Instagram: https://instagram.com/thatgirl_daria/
One free month on MUBI: https://mubi.com/t/web/global/GEouz7zH
🕰️Timestamps
00:00 - intro
00:48 - rise of anti-intellectualism
02:15 - are movies getting dumber?
04:04 - commodification of indie cinema
7:29 - commodified cinephilia
09:02 - summary
📝 Sources:
- https://pewresearch.org/politics/2024/06/24/public-trust-in-government-1958-2024/
- https://pktabari4.medium.com/a24-is-a-film-movement-468dcd065d4a
- https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cinephilia#:~:text=The love of cinema that,film theorist Christian Metz defined
- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/opinion/martin-scorsese-marvel.html
- https://scribewilcox.com/5439/lifestyles/a24-capitalism-for-the-culture/
- https://medium.com/@brianyan4321/a24-on-vulgar-cinephilia-5b71118dcd24
- https://medium.com/armchair-musings/the-rise-of-anti-intellectualism-5d8bf318c2da
- https://www.gq.com/story/are-film-bros-ruining-indie-movies-or-saving-them
- https://www.varsity.co.uk/film-and-tv/28090
- https://www.thefader.com/2023/10/11/report-a24-to-expand-produce-more-commercial-films
- https://youtube.com/watch?v=6Lsil8253GI&t=92s
- https://youtube.com/shorts/bGC0ZHHGMIU
- https://youtu.be/vbvSLsMADCM?si=DSF1cYd0616jUYoS
This video dives into the rise of anti-intellectualism and how it's shaping (and killing) modern cinema — from Marvel blockbusters to the slick branding of A24 “indie” films. Let’s talk about why smart movies are disappearing, how “authenticity” became a product, and what it means to be a cinephile in an age of aesthetic consumption.
💗 Instagram: https://instagram.com/thatgirl_daria/
One free month on MUBI: https://mubi.com/t/web/global/GEouz7zH
🕰️Timestamps
00:00 - intro
00:48 - rise of anti-intellectualism
02:15 - are movies getting dumber?
04:04 - commodification of indie cinema
7:29 - commodified cinephilia
09:02 - summary
📝 Sources:
- https://pewresearch.org/politics/2024/06/24/public-trust-in-government-1958-2024/
- https://pktabari4.medium.com/a24-is-a-film-movement-468dcd065d4a
- https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cinephilia#:~:text=The love of cinema that,film theorist Christian Metz defined
- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/opinion/martin-scorsese-marvel.html
- https://scribewilcox.com/5439/lifestyles/a24-capitalism-for-the-culture/
- https://medium.com/@brianyan4321/a24-on-vulgar-cinephilia-5b71118dcd24
- https://medium.com/armchair-musings/the-rise-of-anti-intellectualism-5d8bf318c2da
- https://www.gq.com/story/are-film-bros-ruining-indie-movies-or-saving-them
- https://www.varsity.co.uk/film-and-tv/28090
- https://www.thefader.com/2023/10/11/report-a24-to-expand-produce-more-commercial-films
- https://youtube.com/watch?v=6Lsil8253GI&t=92s
- https://youtube.com/shorts/bGC0ZHHGMIU
- https://youtu.be/vbvSLsMADCM?si=DSF1cYd0616jUYoS
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Video Information
Views
10.5K
Likes
471
Duration
10:21
Published
Jun 27, 2025
User Reviews
4.6
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