Consider this ominous headline from late last year: “October Box Office Plunges to Three-Decade Low.” For exhibitors and studio bean counters, a down month is never good news. But let’s also consider how absurd it is that audiences are expected to just be as invested in Hollywood profits as the executives running the show.

On the other hand, according to Cinema United, the movie exhibition trade association, last year saw moviegoing by Gen Z grow by 25% — the highest increase of any demographic. Gen Z is also the first generation to have come of age during the great disruption caused by streaming. Turns out, people want what they’ve always wanted: A reason to leave the house for a couple of hours and be entertained.

The bigger financial questions surrounding the long and short-term viability of the movie industry are out of our hands, which means our only job as moviegoers is to pick and choose what we want to see. So let’s commit to a New Year’s resolution to stop talking about movies in terms of box office. What’s happening on the screen is so much more interesting anyway.

“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”

Filmmaker Nia DaCosta’s interests as a director run the gamut, from horror (the “Candyman” remake) to popcorn films (“The Marvels”) to her recent update and reimagining of the play “Hedda Gabler.” She circles back to horror with this sequel to the post-apocalyptic “28 Years Later.” Ralph Fiennes leads the ensemble cast. In theaters Jan. 16.

“The Rip”

Old pals Ben Affleck and Matt Damon team up on screen once again, this time in a crime thriller. Here’s the official description: “Upon discovering millions in cash in a derelict stash house, trust among a team of Miami cops begins to fray. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question — including who they can rely on.” Screenwriter Joe Carnahan says the idea came out of a “deeply personal experience that my friend went through, both as a father and as head of tactical narcotics for the Miami-Dade police department.” On Netflix Jan. 16.

“Send Help”

A plane crashes and a woman (Rachel McAdams) and her jerk of a boss (Dylan O’Brien) are the only survivors, now stranded on a deserted island. Didn’t Anne Heche and Harrison Ford already do this in 1998’s “Six Days, Seven Nights”? Well, this one’s way more ominous, directed by “Spider-Man’s” Sam Raimi. In theaters Jan. 30.

“Dracula: A Love Tale”

Director Luc Besson reimagines the vampire story as a tragic romance. The movie opened in Europe late last year, with one critic describing it as Dracula meets “Pride and Prejudice”: “While it almost certainly does not work on any narrative level, it remains compulsively watchable throughout thanks to writer-director Luc Besson‘s flair for the preposterous.” In theaters Jan. 30.

“Pillion”

If you want the elevator pitch, this is Alexander Skarsgård’s gay biker romance, which premiered at Cannes last year, prompting this observation in Variety: “With lots of kinky gay BDSM sex scenes, elaborately choreographed orgies, full-frontal nudity and men in rubber, ‘Pillion’ has easily been among the most sexually graphic films of Cannes so far (and also one of its most warmly received).” According to co-star Harry Melling (as the submissive partner), the movie’s themes are “relatable and familiar, but maybe dealing with a subculture that people aren’t so familiar with. It’s how those two things interplay that I found so fascinating … taking romantic comedy tropes and subverting them.” In theaters Feb. 6.

“Wuthering Heights”

Based on her resume so far, Emerald Fennell might be the most vibes-based filmmaker of the moment, judging by her visually specific but thematically shallow efforts with “Saltburn” and “Promising Young Woman.” This time she’s adapting the Emily Bronte 1847 novel about the stormy relationship between Catherine (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi). In theaters Feb. 13.

“Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die”

A sci-fi action adventure from Gore Verbinski (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) that has artificial intelligence on the mind. A man from the future (Sam Rockwell) travels back in time to strong-arm the patrons of a diner into helping him fight a rogue AI. Variety got an early look when the film premiered last fall at Fantastic Fest, calling it “unapologetically irreverent, wildly inventive, end-is-nigh take on the time-loop movie — call it ‘Terminator 2: Groundhog Day’ — except that here, Rockwell’s dizzy protagonist knows what it takes to stop the cycle.” In theaters Feb. 13.

“Crime 101”

Halle Berry and Chris Hemsworth star in this crime thriller (title sorta gave the genre away) about a burned out insurance broker (Berry) who gets caught up in a multimillion-dollar heist organized by a jewel thief working one last job (Hemsworth). Mark Ruffalo plays the LAPD detective on the case. In theaters Feb. 13.

“Man on the Run”

As a pop cultural figure, Paul McCartney’s life and work has been endlessly documented. I don’t know if the world is clamoring for more, but here we are regardless. According to McCartney’s official website, the film will take viewers on an “intimate journey through Paul McCartney’s extraordinary life following the break-up of The Beatles and the formation of Wings with his wife, Linda.” On Amazon Feb. 25.

“Whitney Springs”

A live-action musical comedy from “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone about an interracial couple: A Black guy finds out his ancestors were enslaved by the ancestors of his white girlfriend. An additional twist: He works at a living history museum as a reenactor, playing an enslaved person. The script is from “South Park” alum Vernon Chatman. Kendrick Lamar is also a producer. In theaters March 20.

“Project Hail Mary”

Adapted from the 2021 novel of the same name, Ryan Gosling stars in the sci-fi adventure as a guy who wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory of who he is or why he’s there. Slowly, he figures out that he’s the sole surviving crew member of a team searching for a solution to a catastrophic event back on Earth. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (“21 Jump Street”). In theaters March 20.

“The Dog Stars”

Another post-apocalyptic story. So much apocalyptism these days, you think Hollywood decision-makers are feeling pessimistic? This one’s from director Ridley Scott and is based on the 2012 novel by Peter Heller. It takes place after a pandemic wipes out a chunk of the population, leaving behind a pilot (Jacob Elordi) and his dog, plus a grouchy ex-Marine (Josh Brolin). They live a lonely existence in an airplane hangar until, one day, a mysterious transmission comes through the radio. Are there other survivors? In theaters March 27.

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