Young men want ‘strong and independent' female film characters

Times

16-06-2025

Young men are increasingly responding positively to 'strong and independent' female film characters, rather than those in supporting roles, according to a study.
Research has found that younger male viewers prefer character-driven storytelling with narrative depth to relentless, high-octane action scenes.
The demographic demonstrated a 5 per cent higher 'immersion score' when shown character-driven trailers, compared with more action-driven promotional campaigns, according to an analysis of 37,000 people by the audience testing company DiO.
Recent films with strong female characters have included Demi Moore's The Substance, Cynthia Erivo's Wicked and Cate Blanchett's Tár.
The firm used facial coding, biometric and cognitive data to reach its conclusions, which it said upended assumptions about audience appetites.
Ade Shannon, chief executive and founder of DiO, told the entertainment website Deadline that the findings could prove instructive to film studios.'This data points towards a shifting perception of masculinity and an evolving appetite for richer, more grounded storytelling,' he said.
The film industry continues to rely heavily on 'focus groups and long-held audience assumptions' to assess how best to market films to specific audiences, he claimed. But these 'outdated concepts' were costing studios millions of dollars each year in lost revenue because they were alienating potential audiences.
The marketing team behind Danny Dyer's latest film Marching Powder used the research to increase interest among women
ALAMY
DiO worked with True Brit when the production company was marketing the Danny Dyer film Marching Powder, released in March. In the film, Dyer's character Jack Jones has six weeks to turn his life around, save his marriage and avoid prison by overcoming his drugs habit.
Chris Besseling, True Brit's head of theatrical distribution, marketing and publicity, said the company had developed a 'two-pronged campaign' as a result of DiO's findings. 'We were able to identify the specific moments, characters, lines and gags from the trailer that resonated most strongly with the two distinctly different audiences that we were targeting,' he said.
The strategy was said to have helped propel the film's box office performance past £3 million, more than twice its budget. The growth was attributed to a 45 per cent increase in the anticipated female audience, which was achieved without putting male fans off.
Last December a study of 750 men and boys aged 8-30 found a growing desire for a variety of fully developed, relatable role models in films.
The global insights and strategy company National Research Group discovered that almost half of those surveyed were keen for role models who were emotionally vulnerable and had deep and meaningful friendships with other men.