Theaters whisper old-timey movie magic that had quietly vanished from cinema. People now doubt whether the big screen maintains its significance because streaming services and algorithm-based bite-sized content delivery systems dominate their entertainment choices. But there is one Hollywood actor who stands out to audiences in his youth, as he sees a cultural revival happening among his entire age group, and that is Timothée Chalamet.

Despite being a competitor for the Oscars, with his latest film Marty Supreme poised at the center of awards buzz, the actor sees the bigger picture, one that paints an evolving society and cinema culture.

Award season's favorite face, Timothée Chalamet, is widely known for his dedication to cinema. Chalamet defended cinema as a shared experience through his interview with Variety. According to him, theatrical releases create a collective anticipation and shared energy because people watch movies in theaters together, while streaming services lack this ability of fuelling excitement, as abundance often leads to ignorance, whether it is of time or entertainment content.

Chalamet identified a balance emerging between two audiences, the streaming platforms' and the big screens' set of crowd. The actor said Gen Z is showing up for films that earn that attention and are not abandoning patience. 

“I also think there’s sort of a reverse thing going on where people are desiring things that are more patient and that pull you in,” a hopeful Chalamet told Variety.

Chalamet suggested that young moviegoers watch films that deserve their focus, despite streaming companies coming up with strategies to grab viewers’ limited attention-span. He openly admired his fellow Academy Awards nominee, Netflix's Frankenstein, which has emerged as a frontrunner in the Oscars race this year.

“I just saw another article that says Gen Z is a bigger moviegoing audience than millennials. Frankenstein was a hugely popular movie this year; I didn’t think that pacing was extraordinarily fast, but it pulled people in,” Chalamet added during his conversation with the outlet.  

Chalamet observed an active artistic community that understands contemporary cinematic excellence as artists and audiences together create new definitions of great films. His own awards season journey, including a Critics’ Choice win, has bolstered his Oscar hopes. 

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But who is ultimately winning the race?

The Academy Awards race is currently led by One Battle After Another, which is expected to win both the Best Picture and Best Director awards after it achieved success at major precursor awards. The film stands as the top contender for Hollywood's highest award because of its wide emotional range and its exceptional technical execution. Sinners also looms large, making history with a record 16 nominations and strong support in screenplay and supporting acting categories.

Hamnet and Timothée Chalamet's Marty Supreme are solid players too, with the latter earning attention in the Best Actor race. International and genre films like Frankenstein and Sentimental Value create a strong competition because they achieved both critical recognition and popular cultural interest. May only the best of cinema win.

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Is Timothée Chalamet correct about Gen Z moviegoers? Let us know in the comments.