Euro-Million Middlebrow Films: Insightful Stories, Varied Audiences, Limited Diversity

This chapter examines those “middlebrow” Euro-million films (i.e. attracting at least one million non-national European admissions) that occupy the middle ground between mainstream and arthouse cinema, focusing on how such films have represented Europe, who they appealed to and why. Between 2005 and 2015, there were 33 Euro-million biopics or period dramas, often focusing on prominent people (e.g. Coco Before Chanel). These typically appealed to older women with degrees who were interested in the film’s subject and the stars playing these roles. There were 29 Euro-million comedies, particularly about overcoming cultural prejudices (e.g. Untouchable) or embracing change (e.g. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). These appealed to a range of demographics with reassuring stories that made audiences laugh and cry. Finally, there were 15 dramatic thrillers (e.g. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), often about high-level conspiracies alluding to real-life wrongdoings. These appealed to young graduates who were attracted to intriguing stories drawn from best-selling novels. Altogether, Euro-million middlebrow films offered more insights into the lives of other Europeans than their mainstream counterparts, while reaching a larger and often more varied audience than arthouse films. Yet their representation of Europe was still limited, as only large European countries with close links to Hollywood, notably Britain, had the financial resources to produce and distribute such films.