Frankfurt Sneak Statistics III – Sn3ak

Here we are again. Another year of OV Sneak Preview – the showing of a random new movie each week at Frankfurt Metropolis cinema. In 2014 and 2015, I collected all the statistics of the films we saw and did a bit of maths. Now, let’s do it all again. This time, we also have statistics for how many films passed the Bechdel test, provided by the lovely Dove.

Let’s get cracking.

Film length in minutes each week

This year, Sneak seems to have relented a bit on its usual habit of putting the longest films in the winter months – only 2 of the 10 longest films aired in the GMT winter time. However, only 2 of the shortest did as well. American Honey, clocking in at 163 minutes, was by far the longest film we’ve ever had at Sneak. Given that the film usually starts around 21:30, this meant it was well after midnight when we left the cinema.

Histogram of film lengths

Seriously, look at what an outlier American Honey is.

Film genres

Film genres per month (again, sorry about the stacked bar chart!)

Yet again, biopics and based-on-a-true-story dramas reigned supreme. Thrillers continued their decline. As in 2014, the Oscar bait season (delayed a few months by the German release schedule) saw drama make a big dent in the first few months of the year.

Sources

True stories sailed past original concepts, as Hollywood was overtaken by the urge to turn every person and event of the twentieth century into a middlebrow drama, with varying results.

Film settings

This is just getting painful. Two-thirds of all films took place in the USA (including the two that took place at sea in US waters), making this our most American year yet.

Rotten Tomatoes scores over the year

There were some real stinkers this year – Dirty Grandpa tied with last year’s Unfinished Business with just 11%. Zootopia (or is Zootropolis) and Hell and High Water – two very different films – both got 98%.

And finally, the Bechdel test. How many films this year featured a conversation between two named female characters?

Bechdel Test pie chart

Is it film statistics, or a 2016 election graph? Hint: it’s nowhere near close enough to 50:50.

Some repeat offenders: Tina Fey (Sisters, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot), Tom Hanks (Sully, A Hologram for the King), Jonah Hill (War Dogs, Sausage Party), Jesse Eisenberg (Cafe Society, Now You See Me 2), Amy Adams (Arrival, Nocturnal Animals),

And the full data: