I unfortunately agree, but only partially. While MANY Hollywood films have become more overt with lazy writing, my favorite films (and I would assume some of yours if you think about it) contain subtlety which 'make' the movie what it is. Check out this list of examples:
Parasite (2019, Bong Joon-ho)
The “smell” metaphor (the Kims’ discussion about how poor people “smell”) is never spelled out as the main conflict, but it underlies humiliation, class division, invisibility.
The moment in the gym / basement sequences: spatial positioning, the stairs, the way characters lope up/down them, the lighting, all communicate hierarchy/power without a line of exposition.
Arrival (2016, Denis Villeneuve)
Subtlety device: nonlinear editing and linguistic framing.
The reveal that Louise’s “flashbacks” are actually flash-forwards lands because the film never tells you outright; it trains you to experience time differently, just as she learns to.
The soft lighting and ambient sound (especially Jóhann Jóhannsson’s restrained score) amplify emotional gravity without verbalizing it.
The movie trusts the viewer to piece the puzzle together — pure narrative subtlety.
Blade Runner 2049
Subtlety device: existential implication through design and pacing.
Sparse dialogue, wide static shots, and ambient soundscapes convey the isolation of artificial life.
Joi’s glitch flicker during moments of tenderness says more about simulated love and mortality than any exposition could.
No Country for Old Men (Coen brothers)
Scene / Moment: Gas station interaction between Chigurh and the attendant — the coin toss, the stillness, minimal camera movement, lack of score. The threat is there, but nothing is shouted. The silence, the framing, the simple object (coin) carry the tension. The film famously uses “virtually no music” to remove emotional signposting.
Also check out this list that shouldn't exist if your point is true:
https://collider.com/movies-are-so-subtle-you-almost-miss-them/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Curious to hear your thoughts! What films do you like that may or may not contain subtlety?
