What is “Magic”?
A text about essentiality and how it works in the industry
Why Do Some Films Move Us?
How many times have you asked yourself at the end of a movie: “It moved me, it seems good, but it’s not ‘all that,’ why?” The answer stems from a study that critics have conducted since the dawn of the seventh art, but there’s a catch: these studies are based on the real answer to your question — individuality.
Individuality is a concept as philosophical as it is scientific. It is about understanding oneself beyond human notions, in addition to being about social life. No matter how many friends, families, or circles one has, at the end of the day, consciousness remains alone. Consciousness is born from pure essence — from pain, from joy, and from the immaterial concepts of happiness built over time.
On the other side of this relationship stands the artist, attempting to understand the viewer. This is, ultimately, the essence of art: a fine line between reality and the pretense of fiction. It is an intense relationship, deserving to be understood and celebrated — a realization that no lived experience is truly individual, yet its consequences always are.
Essence, Questioning, and Formation
And what does this result in? It resembles a chemical reaction. Consciousness is built over years, often shaped by a pre-defined theme or ideal planted in childhood. This is where a person’s essence emerges. As individuals grow, they begin to question.
Questioning is often dismissed as merely a childhood phase. This dismissal, however, is not accidental. It is tied to an industry of mind formation — a concept discussed as early as Karl Marx, who argued that society, structured as a profit-driven market, does not see people as beings but as tools of the state. From this perspective, the idea of essence arises from the exclusion of personality. That exclusion forms individuals who no longer question.
Here, questioning does not mean asking whether there is life outside Earth. It means questioning oneself: feelings, ideas, dreams, and, most importantly, the possibilities allowed by one’s surroundings.
Cinema and the Limits of Entertainment
This brings us back to cinema. As an art form, film possesses a capacity that goes far beyond its obligation to entertain. Yet audiences frequently express dissatisfaction with big-market films that fail to move beyond the basics — beyond what truly affects the human experience. These films often deliver expensive, fragmented editing rather than emotional resonance.
This dissatisfaction is understandable. As with Marx’s critique, capitalism tends to consume itself. In cinema, works aimed primarily at capital become increasingly standardized, and consequently, less desired.
When art is forced to function strictly within a mold, it begins to collapse inward. Imagine cinema as an organized spreadsheet: on one side, audience desire; on the other, predefined formats. Numerous possibilities exist, yet they remain limited because the market has already decided what the work — not yet born — will become.
Blockbusters, Profit, and Sensory Experience
Consider historic box-office successes such as Avatar (2009) or Avengers: Endgame (2019). These films are designed with profit as their primary goal. Every element — from script to lighting — is programmed to psychologically stimulate dopamine responses in the viewer’s brain. The result is a powerful sensory experience.
However, precisely because of this careful engineering, such films struggle to differentiate themselves from their competitors. The blockbuster industry remains appealing by promising specific experiences: technological immersion in Avatar, nostalgia in Marvel films, legacy in Jurassic World. It is less about a single sale and more about sustained manipulation.
These films promise fulfillment, partially deliver it, and then, through post-credit scenes and sequels, summon the viewer back for the next installment — perpetuating a cycle that continues until the industry begins to fracture.
Repetition, Comparison, and the Loss of Essence
When a viewer moves from one Avatar film to Avatar: The Way of Water, comparison becomes inevitable. Over time, repetition establishes a pattern. As a result, films begin to lose their essence.
The industry’s objective, then, is not to make history, foster careers, or amplify artistic voices. Its goal is to sustain an internal market that generates enormous revenue — revenue that, in theory, benefits the state, which in turn encourages further production. The viewer’s experience becomes secondary.
A film that costs 200 million dollars was never primarily designed to transform its audience. It was designed to make the viewer feel comfortable — “I wanted this, and this is what I got.”
Where the Magic Still Exists
Ultimately, the magic of cinema depends largely on the viewer’s willingness to search within themselves for what makes a film meaningful. *The Perks of Being a Wallflower* serves as a useful example. Often labeled an indie film due to its simplicity, it resonated with an entire generation precisely because of its emotional honesty.
There are countless “Charlies” in schools around the world — individuals searching for belonging, for a mirror in which they can see themselves without shame. This kind of identification is powerful because simplicity, when sincere, works.
This raises an important question: why do films like this rarely dominate major festivals?
Festivals, Investment, and the Circuit
The answer lies in history. Taking the Oscars as an example, the award was created to recognize the best films of the year. Its origins trace back to the 1929 economic crisis, a period that produced both profit-driven works and deeply critical artists. Initially, the Oscars functioned as a form of artistic resistance.
Over time, however, as the industry grew stronger, profit logic became dominant. Selection increasingly aligned with what is known as the *circuit* — investment, visibility, and strategic positioning. Similar dynamics now affect festivals such as Cannes and many others worldwide.
Festivals have evolved into economic ecosystems. Once distant from market interests, they are now integrated into strategies of cultural monopolization, allowing large entities to acquire diverse “products” while maintaining centralized control.
Final Considerations
This is not a war between blockbusters and independent cinema. There will always be high-budget films with genuine essence, just as there will be independent films that lack purpose.
The essential task for the viewer is differentiation: understanding why a film affects them in a particular way and deciding how far they are willing to invest — financially and emotionally — in comfort or in challenge.
The industry will continue to exist with or without individual viewers. Therefore, form opinions, question experiences, and never blame yourself for what resonates or fails to resonate. Films are sold according to profit logic; whether they reach you on a deeper level is a matter of essence — and of magic.
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