With the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shuttering cinemas across America, the rise of streaming services, and the dual actor/writer strikes of 2023, it’s been an interesting five years for the movies. But even amidst the ever-changing world of film, there’s been no shortage of great releases.
But which recent films are the most popular amongst Kentucky residents? To find out BetKentucky.com briefly set Kentucky sports betting content aside and used Google Trends to analyze the most popular movies within the Bluegrass state by looking at the search results under “Film” for the last 5 years. To see the results, check out our list of the top ten recent films according to Kentuckians below.
Favorite Movies of Kentucky Residents of Past 5 Years
Rank | Movie | Interest Over Time |
1 | Barbie (2023) | 9 |
2 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) | 6 |
3 | Elvis (2022) | 4 |
T-4 | Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) | 3 |
T-4 | Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) | 3 |
6 | Joker (2019) | 2 |
T-7 | Smile (2022) | 1 |
T-7 | Oppenheimer (2023) | 1 |
T-7 | M3GAN (2022) | 1 |
T-7 | Uncharted (2022) | 1 |
T-7 | Paw Patrol: The Movie (2021) | 1 |
T-7 | Nope (2022) | 1 |
Breaking Down Kentucky Residents' Top Movies
1. Barbie (2023)
Ranking as Kentucky residents’ favorite movie of the past five years, Barbie was released on July 21st, 2023. However, the movie had been in development for over a decade, with actresses Amy Schumer, Anne Hathaway, and Gal Gadot all in talks to play Barbie at one point. But it wasn’t until Margot Robbie was enlisted to play the title role that Barbie truly got off the ground. It was Robbie and her production company LuckyChap that brought aboard Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach to pen the screenplay. Gerwig would eventually be announced as director, and ultimately bring Barbieland to life to the delight of millions of movie-goers.
2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Hollywood’s first crack at adapting Nintendo’s flagship Mario Bros. game was an unmitigated disaster. Starring Bob Hoskins as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi 1993’s Super Mario Bros. was a commercial and critical failure. It took 30-years for Nintendo to try again, but it was certainly worth the wait. The Super Mario Bros. Movie would take in $1.3 billion worldwide, becoming the highest grossing video game adaptation of all time.
3. Elvis (2022)
This lively biopic about the King of Rock and Roll explores the life of Elvis Presley, with a particular focus on Presley’s relationship to his manager Colonel Tom Parker. The Baz Luhrmann-directed musical earned $288 million dollars at the international box office and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including a Best Actor nod for Austin Butler’s transformative performance as Elvis.
T-4. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
The third Spider-Man film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: No Way Home was a dream-come-true for Spidey-fans because of the way it used the conceit of the “multiverse” to bring together characters from previous non-MCU Spider-Man films. Earning $1.9 billion world wide, it is the sixth highest grossing film of all time.
T-4. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Thirteen years after the first Avatar film became the highest grossing movie of all time, Avatar: The Way of Water brought audiences back into the visually stunning world of the Na’vi. The third Avatar film is currently scheduled for release in December 2025.
6. Joker (2019)
Drawing heavily from two legendary Robert de Niro/Martin Scorsese collaborations, Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, Todd Philip’s gritty re-imagining of Batman villian Joker’s origin story was huge hit when it was released in 2019. Unfortunately, this year’s sequel looks to be a bomb. Joker: Folie à Deux opened to a meagre $40 million dollars domestically amid scathing reviews from critics and audience members alike.
T-7. Smile (2022)
A surprise box office hit that delighted and terrified audiences during the 2022 Halloween season, a Smile-sequel will be hitting the big screen later this month, with Parker Finn returning as writer and director.
Check this out: Top 10 2024 Halloween Costumes for Kentucky
T-7. Oppenheimer (2023)
This award season power-house took home seven Oscars earlier this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. Hands down one of the most enthralling theatrical experiences of all time, Oppenheimer cemented Christopher Nolan’s status as a modern master of cinema.
T-7. M3GAN (2022)
Another sleeper horror hit, M3GAN follows a young girl and her overly protective, homicidal AI toy doll. The movie earned $181 million against a modest $12 million dollar budget. Unsurprisingly, a sequel is in the works. M3GAN 2.0 is expected to hit theatres in 2025.
T-7. Uncharted (2022)
An adaptation of the popular video game series, Uncharted is the second film on our list of Kentucky’s favorite recent films to star Tom Holland. Despite multiple COVID-related delays, Uncharted would eventually be released in February 2022, earning over $500 million worldwide.
T-7. Paw Patrol: The Movie (2021)
This adaptation of the hit animated kids series sees canine first responders Chase, Skye, Marshall and the rest of the Paw Patrol hitting the big screen for the first time.
T-7. Nope (2022)
Genre auteur Jordan Peele’s third feature film follows two siblings who work as Hollywood horse wranglers tracking a mysterious UFO hovering near their family ranch. The movie, which stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, earned over $172 million internationally.
Author
Jeff Parker is a writer for BetKentucky.com. A writer for film, television, and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with an actual Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full-time as a documentary filmmaker and producer.
