I studied the subtitles of over 60,000 films and found that some genres almost always shape the tone, even in hybrids.

I analysed 32 million film ratings to see which genres attract the same fans. The result is a map of audience taste.

I looked at admissions data from over 30 countries to see who’s back at the cinema and who’s still missing. The answers say more about national culture and policy than just COVID.

As horror films multiply and diversify, the label is collapsing under the weight of what it’s being asked to describe ...

Last week I ran a course in Malaysia for the Met Film School and the Malaysian Government. Malaysia is set to be a popular destination for Hollywood projects, thanks mostly to the 30% tax break and ...

Cannes 2025 was not a washout. The Croisette was crowded, the sun came out, and over 15,000 industry professionals turned up. But something has shifted. I believe that we will look back at 2025 as an ...

Last week on Twitter I was asked about the average director's career and how many directors get to make a second film. This was sparked by some research I conducted a while ago on the average careers ...

The first time someone said “You should do a Substack” to me, I thought they were suggesting lunch. As more people started to say it, I moved on to thinking they meant some kind of exercise (too many ...

Yesterday, Donald Trump announced a plan to impose a 100% tariff on all foreign-made films. He claimed that international tax incentives were draining American productions from US soil and accused ...