nbcnews.com
The Conjuring: Last Rites" Achieves Record-Breaking Horror Box Office Opening
The Conjuring: Last Rites" debuted with $83 million domestically and $104 million internationally, marking the largest international opening for a horror film and pushing the genre's 2024 domestic earnings past $1 billion.
- What is the significance of "The Conjuring: Last Rites'" box office success?
- The film's $83 million domestic opening is the third-highest for a horror movie, exceeding other 2024 horror releases significantly. This, coupled with a record-breaking $104 million international opening, surpasses $1 billion in total domestic horror earnings for 2024—unprecedented for this early in the year.
- What are the broader implications of this box office success for the horror genre and the film industry?
- The early surpassing of $1 billion in domestic horror earnings suggests a robust and enduring appeal for the genre. The success of "Last Rites," along with upcoming horror releases, indicates a potentially strong year for horror at the box office and may influence future film production and distribution strategies.
- How does the film's performance compare to other recent horror releases and what factors contribute to its success?
- Last Rites"'s opening weekend numbers nearly doubled those of other successful 2024 horror films like "Weapons." Its success is attributed to the established "Conjuring" franchise's reputation for delivering classic horror experiences, as noted by Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian, and the enduring appeal of horror films for audiences.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article focuses heavily on the financial success of "The Conjuring: Last Rites," using strong positive language like "raked in," "broke records," and "blew past." This emphasis on box office numbers overshadows other aspects like critical reception (mentioned briefly as 'mixed reviews') and the film's artistic merit. The headline itself contributes to this framing by highlighting the financial triumph. The inclusion of comparisons to other films, particularly those from the same studio, further strengthens this positive framing. This might lead readers to prioritize the film's commercial success over its artistic value or critical reception.
Language Bias
The language used is largely positive and celebratory toward the film's financial performance. Words like "raked in," "broke records," and "blew past" carry strong positive connotations. The description of the film's success as "unprecedented" adds to the celebratory tone. The mixed critical reception is downplayed, described simply as "mixed reviews" without further elaboration on the specifics. A more neutral description would focus on the numerical data without the overly positive adjectives, such as: "The film grossed $83 million domestically and $104 million internationally.
Bias by Omission
While the article mentions mixed critical reviews, it omits specific details about those reviews or the criticisms leveled against the film. The article also doesn't delve into the film's themes or narrative content beyond a brief description of the plot. The lack of critical analysis leaves the reader with an incomplete picture of the film's reception and impact. The article could benefit from including diverse opinions and more in-depth critical evaluation. It's possible this omission is partially due to space constraints but it would strengthen the reporting to include a more balanced perspective.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat simplistic dichotomy between the film's financial success and its critical reception, suggesting a correlation without fully exploring the complexities of film criticism or audience preferences. It implies that strong box office numbers automatically translate into quality, which is not always true. The contrast between the movie's financial performance and other movies is a false dichotomy as the article compares a horror movie to a musical and various other genres.