UK vs USA: Who Does it Better (Film Edition)

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When it comes to the film industry, it’s pretty clear that Hollywood holds supremacy over its counterparts. However, when it comes to certain genres, the Brits do it better. In 2019, the UK film industry was worth £3.46 billion, a fairly sizeable sum. Still, it pales in comparison to the global titan that is Hollywood – worth a whopping $42.2 billion as of 2019. So, who holds dominion over the worldwide film industry? Let’s take a look.

Big Spender: Hollywood Owns Casino Genre

Millions of people from around the globe enjoy playing the odd casino game. Both online and offline gameplay have risen in popularity over the last few years, and game developers are becoming more and more experimental with the titles they’re producing. It should come as no surprise, then, that the film industry capitalises on the popularity of the genre, producing casino movies that depict the lavish lifestyles of high rollers.

Films like Casino (1995) directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, depict the showy environments of the Las Vegas gambling scene. While Croupier (1998) is a British neo-noir film, depicting the life of a struggling casino croupier, planning a major heist. It’s probably the glitziest British casino film out there, and really depicts how gambling has changed over the years. You only have to navigate here to see the stark changes. Online gambling means that casino play is more accessible but also offers more choice, from themed slots to a broader choice of games in addition to the classics, it’s a far cry from the portrayal in Croupier.

Spy Movies: UK Takes the Crown

When it comes to spy movies, no franchise is more famous than James Bond. Based on the novels of the same name, Bond reigns over the global spy film industry. To date, there are 26 of these films, spanning decades.

Other notable UK spy films include the Kingsman franchise, which has also become a major box office hit. While Hollywood has tried to keep up (U.N.C.L.E, the Mission Impossible franchise, Atomic Blonde, SALT etc), nobody does espionage like the Brits. UK spy films ooze charisma, and frankly Hollywood can’t compete. Click here to check out the 100 best spy movies of all time.

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Movies – The Tiebreaker

It’s only fair that the UK vs USA movie tiebreaker would come down to the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre. Two of the biggest movie franchises in the world have come out of it, namely Star Wars and Harry Potter.

Going on a solely revenue-based appraisal would put Star Wars in the lead. Since the start of the series, George Lucas’ creation has earned a whopping $10 billion. Contrastingly, the Harry Potter franchise (originally authored by J.K Rowling) has earned $8 billion. That’s a pretty close call.

As for which franchise is the most popular, it’s hard to say. Both Harry Potter and Star Wars are thoroughly enmeshed in our hearts and minds – making for a particularly tricky tiebreaker round. If you want to see a full evaluation of the two, click here.

Films Transcend Nationality – Forget the Showdown

Both the UK and US have thriving film industries, producing well-loved classics (and a fair amount of garbage). While the UK absolutely takes the top prize for spy movies, Hollywood pips her to the post on casino films. Sci-Fi and Fantasy are even more hotly contested, with Harry Potter and Star Wars two prime examples. Ultimately the viewer is going to have to make the final decision here. So, which do you prefer?