Art House Movies Having Their TikTok Moment

The latest crop of prestige films (the ones that usually rely on the ‘elderverse’ of older theatergoers) draws a surprisingly larger share of the 18-to-34 demo

Wrestling drama The Iron Claw has quietly grossed $31.5 million domestically at the box office since its Christmas launch, a veritable fortune for an independent film in the post-pandemic age and one of the best showings ever for distributor A24. And it isn’t the only specialty movie doing impressive business these days thanks to a powerful new ally: younger adults.

For years, art house movies relied on the “elderverse,” as one indie executive puts it — i.e., moviegoers over age 35 or 40. But that relationship collapsed during the COVID-19 crisis and has yet to be fully restored. At the same time, the 18-to-34 crowd started snubbing once surefire genres like superhero fare.

“This is the strongest I can remember seeing this kind of turnout since the early 2000s,” says Lisa Bunnell, president of distribution at Focus. More than 40 percent of ticket buyers to the opening weekend of

The Holdovers, directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti, were under 35, she says. Adds Neon distribution chief Elissa Federoff: “People are realizing that streaming is leveling off. There’s less good content to watch at home.”

On the opening weekend of Iron Claw — starring Zac Efron and The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White as the Von Erich brothers of wrestling fame — more than 60 percent of tickets buyers were 35 and under, including a large chunk between ages 18 and 24. The heart-wrenching movie went viral thanks to its cast, which also includes Harris Dickinson, and became a TikTok sensation when people seeing the film rushed to post videos of themselves crying.

A24 is known for homing in on movies that appeal to younger generations; Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird (2017) is another example. Ditto for rival distributor Neon, home of the Oscar-winning Parasite. The more traditional specialty distributors such as Focus and Searchlight have begun doing the same.

On its Dec. 8 opening weekend, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Victorian era-set Poor Things saw 70 percent of ticket buyers under 35, followed by 66 percent on the second and 58 percent on the third. Even The Zone of Interest, a Holocaust drama (and another A24 title), is drawing younger interest. “For a movie of this subject to have more than half of the audience be under 35 is extremely noteworthy and encouraging,” notes one specialty insider.

Amazon MGM Studios theatrical distribution chief Kevin Wilson has recently handled several specialty movies that have appealed to younger adults to varying degrees, including best picture Oscar nominee American Fiction. He notes, “What’s interesting is we’re starting to see a young cinephile audience that is searching for more unique content.”