Why Should the Moviegoer Care about the Weaponization of Nostalgia?

By Ben Konuch

Imagine that once upon a time, you wanted to go to the movie theater and see a new release. That year, a new film about a deadly tornado sweeping across the country was one of the biggest releases of the summer. The previous summer, a new “Indiana Jones” came to theaters with mixed acclaim and two years before it, Tom Cruise dazzled in “Top Gun.” 

But this year that you’re imagining isn’t in the ‘80s or ’90s, it’s just 2024. In this year, like most before, there seems to be some kind of sequel, remake or call back to one of Hollywood’s iconic films releasing in theaters or on television once again. 

Remakes or legacy sequels are not new to the 2020s, but we are seeing them at a much greater frequency than in past eras of film. Contrary to some film critics, I don’t believe that this is evidence of a stalling of creativity in Hollywood. There are a myriad of new franchises and stories dominating the screen in just this last decade alone, with films such as “A Quiet Place,” “La La Land,” “Bullet Train” or even “The Wild Robot” charting new territory in their respective genres. 

What we do see, however, is a new wave of film and television that seems to not just utilize nostalgia but actively weaponize it.

“Generally speaking, nostalgia refers to fond memories and sentimental affections owing to past experiences,” said Dr. Luke Tse, Chair and Professor of Psychology at Cedarville University. “When people reflect back on the past, certain recalls can trigger the release of neurochemicals in the brain that contribute to feelings of pleasure, peace, happiness, or belonging.”

These neurochemicals can include dopamine, sometimes called the “feel-good” hormone, serotonin, which is a mood regulator that can influence a more positive, happy, state and oxytocin, the “love hormone” which connects to positive social interactions and emotional bonding. This demonstrates that the success of sequels, remakes and callbacks to past films can be attributed to a genuine positive reaction in our minds when nostalgia is utilized well.

Of the aforementioned examples, “Top Gun: Maverick” was a huge financial success that captured a classic blockbuster excitement for millions of viewers, and “Twisters” was the largest film of the summer of 2024. The aforementioned physical reaction to nostalgic callbacks is perhaps the greatest reason for their frequency. It can be a feeling of excitement and childlike wonder at seeing a beloved character or story of the past make a triumphant return in a satisfying way. Who doesn’t want to cheer for your favorite character coming back in an exciting return?

However, it can also be equally crushing to see a favorite character’s impact ruined by a sequel that undermines the themes or influence of the original, as some viewers claimed with 2023’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” While some fans expressed excitement at the newest entry to the franchise, many expressed frustration at the trailers and marketing for the film, which seemed to portray Indiana Jones as a washed up and depressed version of his former self. This is one of the greatest risks of the remake or legacy sequel in that they have the potential to disappoint, which can alarm many longtime fans.

Audiences want to see Maverick define a new generation of triumphant pilots in “Top Gun: Maverick,” but very few are as thrilled to see Luke Skywalker walk away from the Jedi and give up on the galaxy in “The Last Jedi.”

The overabundance is simply part of the problem. Paired with it is “nostalgia bait,” when film franchises seek to exploit the positive impact that nostalgia can make us feel but without any of the substance. This can be seen in the rise of “cameo culture,” especially in Star Wars or superhero franchises. When a film or television show is reduced simply to a question of which famous character from a past story can appear, our nostalgia isn’t earned, it’s cheated.

This is demonstrated in the lead-up to recent Marvel releases. Leaks and theorizing rip the internet apart with analyzing which cameos might appear or what past film might be referenced, not about plot or story elements. Will the Spider-Men from past films appear in “No Way Home?” Will this beloved character from a 2000s superhero film appear in “Deadpool & Wolverine?” Will this character or that character get a nod from the multiverse? 

When a story is reduced to the cameos or callbacks it features, instead of using those to accentuate the new story being told, our nostalgia is exploited. It makes us point at the screen excitedly because John Smith from the John Smith Movie ten years ago appeared on screen and said “I’m John Smith.” That little release of dopamine isn’t from art, it isn’t from nuanced entertainment, it’s from an emotional manipulation of Hollywood. We simply let it happen to us.

So where is the line between nostalgia utilized versus nostalgia weaponized? In general, the line usually falls with what a story does in making you as a viewer feel nostalgic. If it takes that emotional feeling caused by nostalgia and treasures it well, using it to give a story an emotional center or an enhanced impact, then the film has carefully utilized it. If the story uses nostalgia as a shield to hide bad writing or a lack of purpose behind, relying on the dopamine boost to carry or define the quality of the film, then the film has weaponized it exploitatively.

“Deadpool and Wolverine,” despite its high number of cameos, utilized those callbacks for the purpose of a story. Past iconic characters don’t simply appear for a wink at the screen and a one-liner, but the very reason they are included in the story directly relates to its fourth-wall breaking plot about the death of Fox’s Marvel Universe. Whether included for comedic effect or dramatic narrative weight, these surprise appearances service the film’s new narrative instead of simply directing our vision to the past.

On the flip side, the recent announcement at Comic-Con that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to Marvel as Doctor Doom shocked the entertainment world in a way that Marvel didn’t expect. While the intended effect was to generate excitement at his return through the nostalgia of what his previous role meant to fans, many saw the gesture as hollow. This is one of the most blatant examples of weaponized nostalgia in the public eye, and the mixed reception demonstrates that audiences are starting to realize how their emotions are being manipulated and exploited.

For the viewer, an understanding of how nostalgia works in film and how it may be exploited is a helpful tool for media literacy. It enables viewers to look at stories more critically, but to also judge when they’re being respected versus being demeaned. Conversations about nostalgia help us understand whether we are swayed by the quality of films themselves or the presuppositions we have about them and what they’ve meant to us. If we understand both the treasured ways and the cheap exploits that nostalgia can be used in implementation, it can help us check if we view this era of cameos, callbacks and remakes either too harshly or too lightly.

Nostalgia in entertainment should be a feeling and emotional effect that we enjoy and control. As audience members, we cannot allow nostalgia to control us instead through a numbing overexposure and overabundance.

Ben Konuch is a senior Strategic Communication student and is the social media manager of Cedars. He enjoys getting sucked into good stories, playing video games and swing dancing in the rain.

Photos courtesy of Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Getty Images