The boundary between film and video games has evaporated. Film updated entertainment content by adopting the mechanics of gaming. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) allowed viewers to choose the protagonist's path. While not a massive commercial hit in traditional terms, it was a proof of concept: audiences want agency.
Since then, we've seen the rise of interactive specials on Netflix (You vs. Wild with Bear Grylls) and the quasi-film, quasi-game experiences on platforms like Quibi (now defunct) and Steam. Meanwhile, cinematic video games (The Last of Us, Cyberpunk 2077) use filmic language so effectively that they are being adapted back into traditional films and TV shows. The circle is closed: popular media is now an ouroboros of film, TV, games, and social interaction.
Perhaps the most revolutionary shift is the role of the viewer as a creator. Film updated entertainment content is now incomplete without its paratext—the videos about the film. film sexxxxx updated
Platforms like YouTube and TikTok host an entire economy of "reactors," "explainers," and "editors." When a major film like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is released, the official movie is only half the story. The other half is the "deep dive" video essays analyzing frame rates, the "speed-run" recaps, and the "easter egg" compilations.
This UGC layer serves two functions:
One of the most profound updates to film is the acknowledgment of the "second screen." In 2005, a film was the primary focus. In 2025, a film is often competing with a Twitter feed, a group chat, or a laundry list of chores.
Film updated entertainment content to accommodate this reality through "ambient cinema." These are movies—often in the rom-com or action genres—with predictable beats and loud, obvious audio cues. You don't need to watch The Lost City with laser focus; you can glance up for the explosion or the kiss and miss nothing. The boundary between film and video games has evaporated
Conversely, Christopher Nolan represents the counter-movement: films that punish second-screening (Tenet, Oppenheimer) with dense audio mixes and complex timelines. But for every Nolan, there are fifty Netflix rom-coms designed to be half-watched. This bifurcation shows that popular media has splintered: there is content for viewing and content for existing alongside.