Whatenheimer?
Despite grossing nearly $650 million at the global box office, receiving stellar reviews from a variety of outlets, and becoming the highest-grossing World War II movie of all time, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has been somewhat dogged by audiences complaining about inaudible dialogue.
While Nolan explained away the quieter moments in the film as an “artistic choice”, some muffled speaking scenes may have had moviegoers wishing they could switch subtitles on for the big screen in the same way many do on their own TV.
Subs split
At-home audiences have increasingly toggled subtitles “on” in recent years, though some demographics are more inclined to add the descriptors than others. While traditionally seen as a tool to assist the hard of hearing, a factor that could lead one to assume that older generations are behind the boom, it’s actually Gen Z reportedly driving the subtitle surge, owing to the “starkly different” viewing habits of the younger generation.
A new survey from YouGov supports that theory, revealing that 51% of US adults aged 18-29 are watching TV with subtitles “always” or “most of the time”. That figure becomes even more striking when compared to just 18% and 20% of those aged 45-64 and over 65s, respectively, who said the same. Subtitle users reported a variety of factors behind their preference, though enhanced comprehension and the ability to better understand accents lead the way, with 40% of respondents equally citing each reason.
