In the Pics section, film critic Floortje Smit casts her eye on contemporary visual culture.
Several cinemas in England introduced a curious new rule last week. Groups in evening wear are not allowed at the Minions: The Rise of Gru movie. If you come neatly in suit with your friends at the cash register, can you get a ticket for the animation film to forget†
Why the hell is there something wrong with teenage boys dressing themselves up for a night out? Because it is a TikTok trend. Under #gentleminion, according to news reports in the United States, Australia and England, they travel in packs to cinemas to make videos for social media apps.
How can this bizarre trend be explained? Over to specialist magazine variety†nostalgia‘ – there’s the standard explanation for post-corona cinema success again. Today’s teenage boys grew up with the first Minion movies. Because of corona, they had to wait five years for this third part. Now they are actually too big for children’s movies, so they can only almost ironically, in suits, go to a movie with their friends that they secretly want to see. Which also counts: all school festivities are now more or less finished, the proms and graduation ceremonies, so they often have such a costume lying around.
bananas
In that light, the #gentleminion trend is touchingly sweet, an endearing part of a rite-of-passage they’ll be nostalgic about ten years from now. Universal is therefore happy with the attention. The film company tweeted: “To everyone who goes to the Minions in a suit, we see you and we love you.” In the meantime, however, the primarily intended new target group is being disadvantaged. If there’s one thing intimidating little boys and girls, it’s groups of big boys. Especially when they make a lot of noise and wear the type of clothes of the super villain from the movie, imitate his hand gestures and wave bananas, the favorite fruit of the Minions. A memorable film experience, but not one that they will look back on fondly later on. So many parents wanted their money back that a number of cinemas decided to ban them.
It’s a logical choice, preferring potential new movie buffs to a group that follows a trend that will be over in a week. But still: dressing up nicely to experience a movie you’re looking forward to with all your friends, in the cinema – that’s something that, on principle, you should of course only applaud.