Hollywood's Secret Musicals: Why "Sinners" Keeps its Tunes Under Wraps

The recent release of the action horror film "Sinners" has sparked an interesting debate about Hollywood's marketing strategies. Film critic and NYT bestselling author Jason Pargin points out a unique aspect of the movie: despite its action-horror genre, "Sinners" contains significant musical elements that were largely omitted from its marketing campaign. Pargin uses this movie as a case study to illustrate a broader trend in Hollywood, where the musical aspects of films are often downplayed or completely hidden to appeal to a broader audience. He notes that this strategy is not always successful and can lead to audiences missing out on key aspects of the film's narrative. "The way 'Sinners' was marketed completely missed a crucial part of the movie's identity," Pargin explains. "It's a full-fledged musical, and that's a significant part of the experience." He further illustrates his point by comparing "Sinners" to other films like the recent "Willy Wonka" remake and "Wicked," where similar strategies were employed. The success of "Sinners" at the box office, driven largely by word-of-mouth, suggests that an honest marketing approach might have yielded even better results. This discussion highlights the ongoing tension between appealing to a broad audience and accurately representing the unique characteristics of a film.