I remember the absolute shitstorm over that very, very dark Game of Thrones episode, The Long Night. I also remember being a bit nonplussed at the time because I’d watched it at night in a very dark room. So I had no trouble following the action.

But that was me. Millions of punters got fucked by that one. This essay over at AVClub explains why directors do this.

Why do filmmakers do this if it makes their work harder to see? The short answer is because they can. In the days of 35mm film, directors had to ensure they captured everything on set as they were shooting. Their ability to adjust the image was extremely limited. Some notable cinematographers experimented with light and shadow—like Gordon Willis, whose shadowy cinematography for films like The Godfather earned him the nickname “The Prince of Darkness”—but generally everything was much brighter in days gone by. That all changed when digital cameras came onto the scene.

Scott sums it up this way: “What do artists do when presented with the new toolkit? They’re going to use it. But that’s also not inevitable, right? It’s a trend enabled by tools, but not made inevitable by them.”

Apparently, it started with Arrival, which I don’t recall as being particularly dark. But again, I probably watched it in the dark.

Anyway, if you find this trend frustrating, the essay has good tips on how to dodge it.

Me, I have more trouble with the shitty, muddy sound mix in most modern cinema. It’s almost impossible to make out dialogue even over good speakers. Mostly I just give up and listen through headphones.