In The Nostalgia Trap, Vasu Agarwal ’28 explores our culture’s obsession with reviving the past — through reboots, fashion, music and more — and what it means for creativity today.
Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.
Hollywood has become obsessed with revisiting old franchises, from reboots like Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (2021) to Disney’s endless stream of live-action remakes, such as “The Lion King” (2019). These reboots rarely live up to their predecessors, yet audiences keep flocking to them. Why do we keep watching something we know might disappoint us? The answer lies in nostalgia — a psychological force so powerful it alters our perceptions and emotions, making us crave the familiar, even when it’s not as good as we remember.
How nostalgia warps our judgment
Nostalgia isn’t just a longing for the past; it’s an emotional experience that taps into specific areas of the brain related to memory and emotion, making us want to feel and relive those emotions again. When we revisit something from our past — whether it’s a favorite childhood movie or an old TV show — the emotional connection can change our perception of the piece and influence how we evaluate what we’re watching.
This emotional attachment is explained by the halo effect, where a positive emotional connection to one aspect of a movie or show influences our overall judgment. When a reboot contains familiar elements — the characters, the setting, the music — it’s easy to overlook things that don’t work as well. In fact, our emotional attachment to the original often blinds us to the flaws in the remake. We’re not judging the film based on its merits alone; we’re judging it based on how it makes us feel.
This explains why films like “The Lion King” (2019) can still pull us in, even though critics slammed it for its lack of emotional depth and lifeless CGI. Despite the film’s flaws, it earned over $1.6 billion. Why? Because the reboot tapped into a deep well of nostalgia, triggering the same feelings we had when we first saw the animated version, showing how nostalgia distorts our judgment and influences our experience.
How nostalgia brings us together
Nostalgia has a unique power to connect people across different generations and cultural backgrounds. When we share memories of a beloved movie, TV show or song, we’re not just revisiting the past — we’re participating in a collective experience.
It’s a powerful force that turns entertainment into a communal experience, making it a conversation starter, a social glue that binds people together, even when their lives and experiences are vastly different. It’s why a reboot of a favorite childhood film or show often sparks debates and discussions, whether online or in person. People find joy in revisiting old favorites together. In this way, nostalgia helps preserve cultural continuity, where each generation experiences a sense of collective identity rooted in the past.
The double-edged sword of nostalgia
While nostalgia can be a source of comfort and community, it also carries a risk. Hollywood’s reliance on reboots is a sign that studios are playing it safe, relying on familiar content to guarantee success. But by doing this, they also stifle creativity and innovation. Instead of introducing new stories and ideas, they keep rehashing the past, falling into a creative trap. This doesn’t just limit creative potential — it also risks keeping us in the past, constantly reliving the same stories without looking forward.
Studios, afraid to take risks, cling to the familiar, leaving groundbreaking ideas behind. Watching “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022), this really hit me — if A24 had poured its resources into a reboot instead, would we have ever gotten this wildly original, Academy Award-winning film? Or take J.A. Bayona — if he had focused on recycling old stories, would we have seen the gut-wrenching “Society of the Snow” (2023)? Creativity and forward-thinking storytelling are what push the industry forward, allowing us to experience fresh, powerful narratives rather than endlessly revisiting the past.
Moving beyond nostalgia: embracing new ideas
Nostalgia isn’t inherently bad — it can be powerful when done right. Films like “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022) took a beloved classic and expanded on it with fresh emotional stakes, and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021) cleverly wove together decades of history into something new and exciting. Even “Barbie” (2023), despite being rooted in a decades-old toy, became a bold, satirical reimagining that resonated across generations. These projects show that nostalgia can work — but it shouldn’t be a crutch.
Nostalgia isn’t going anywhere, but there needs to be a balance. Hollywood doesn’t need to stop reboots, but studios should also make space for original stories. While nostalgia has its place, moving forward means embracing fresh ideas that stand on their own and connect with new generations.
As much as we love old favorites, we should ask: How much are we missing by clinging to the past? To evolve in entertainment and culture, we need to make room for the new, not just recycle the old.