Everything Is Getting Higher Framerates, So Why Do Movies Still Look the Same?

The technology for video games and digital cameras has continually improved to support higher frame rates, leading to smoother and sometimes better viewing experiences. However, movies have adhered to the same visual standard for decades—but there's a reason for this.

How Do Frame Rates Affect Movies?

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To explain the importance of frame rates, it's important to understand what a "frame" even is. "Frames" are the individual images that are shown in rapid succession to simulate motion in a movie or video game. "Frame rate" refers to the rate at which these frames are displayed, which is typically measured in frames per second (FPS).

With a high frame rate (HFR), a movie cycles through more individual frames in a shorter period of time, leading to smoother motion and reduced motion blur. In contrast, standard frame rates use fewer individual frames, consequentially leading to more visual stuttering and motion blur.

Most movies are displayed at 24 fps, and the average television program is only slightly higher at 30 fps. However, not every movie follows these standards. Avatar: The Way of the Water was famously shot at 48 fps, which brought more visual clarity to its action scenes. Digital cameras—including newer phone models—also feature multiple options for recording videos at different frame rates, with HFR settings being perfect for recording videos involving lots of fast movement.

However, HFR isn't always the best option. While the smoothness of HFR looks fantastic when recording home videos, that same quality doesn't always translate to movies. This problem was unintentionally demonstrated with Gemini Man, a 2019 action film that was shown in theaters at 120 fps. Although Gemini Man was converted to lower frame rates for its home releases—being rendered at 24 fps for DVD and Blu-ray, and 60fps for 4K Ultra HD (UHD)—these versions still highlight why larger frame rates aren't always better for movies.

Effects such as camera shaking and motion blur add to the intensity of action scenes in movies like Gemini Man, but this intentional roughness is lost in HFR. Lower frame rates also help movements to seem quicker and more impactful, whereas HFR exposes the slow speeds and delayed motions that are usually hidden by standard frame rates.

Why Movies Are Rendered in 24 FPS

For nearly a century, almost every theatrical film has adhered to a 24 fps standard. Most movies released beforehand were shot at around 16–18 fps, as these are the lowest frame rates that can trick your eyes into perceiving a sequence of still images as motion. Anything lower than those would be seen as individual still images rather than creating the illusion of fluid motion. However, movie studios typically avoided higher frame rates to use less film stock and ultimately save on production costs.

Movies experimented with various frame rates throughout the silent film era, but the introduction of sound syncing necessitated a fixed standard. After much experimentation, filmmakers found that 24 fps was both visually appealing when paired with sound and affordable to produce. In 1927, The Jazz Singer became the first movie to implement the 24 fps standard for sound-syncing, and the rest of the industry soon adopted this practice.

Digital cameras now allow filmmakers to use higher frame rates without the costs and limitations of physical film stock. Still, there's a reason that the 24 fps standard continues to define modern cinema. One of the main reasons that movies are visually distinct from television programs and home videos is because of their specific frame rate. Whether you're aware of its presence or not, most people associate the 24 fps standard with the "cinematic" aesthetic of theatrical films, and attempts to deviate from it are rarely met with warm reception.

When Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy premiered in some theaters at 48 fps, the unconventional frame rate divided casual viewers and critics. As with other forms of HFR, the 48 fps versions of the trilogy are notable for their smooth, lifelike visuals, but Jackson's decision to deviate from the cinematic standard proved distracting for many viewers.

While some of this criticism is due to the visual oddities that come with HFR—though none were as severe as Gemini Man—the mixed reception is also a result of audiences being used to the 24 fps standard and struggling to adapt to other frame rates. Not only does HFR deviate from the visual style we expect from movies, but it's most commonly associated with cheaper television programs (especially soap operas) and homemade videos. Frame rate isn't indicative of a movie's budget or quality, but this stigma may take years for HFR movies to overcome.

Even if HFR weren't so divisive, it still wouldn't be practical for home releases. Currently, most DVD and Blu-ray players are only able to support standard frame rates, whereas HFR releases are limited to 4K UHD. Films with HFR-supported screenings, such as Gemini Man and The Hobbit trilogy, had to be converted to lower frame rates for their home releases. Many people still don't own a 4K media player, and the divisive visuals of HFR aren't likely to drive viewers to buy one. Simply put, the technology to support non-standard frame rates hasn't taken off just yet, but that hasn't stopped movie studios from taking a risk with HFR.

HFR Is The Future of Films

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Although the 24 fps standard won't be replaced anytime soon, movie studios are more willing to explore different visual techniques than ever before. In prior years, HFR releases were limited to one or two movies. However, 2024 has already set a record with four major films being released at 48 fps, including the first two animated films to be rendered in HFR: Kung Fu Panda 4 and The Wild Robot.

While four films isn't a lot, the increasing usage of HFR highlights the importance of innovation in the movie industry. Technology is constantly advancing, with new devices now being able to support a greater range of frame rates and online streaming becoming more reliable than ever before. If studios continue releasing movies at 48 fps, audiences will also become more accustomed to the smoother visual style. It will take some time before 48 fps can be supported as an industry standard, but the future of entertainment is certainly headed in that direction.

This doesn't mean HFR will completely replace the 24 fps standard. DVD and Blu-rays still comprise the vast majority of home release sales. Similarly, many theaters still aren't equipped to support HFR. However, 4K support is becoming increasingly more common on new TVs and media players, so it's likely that studios will eventually start releasing HFR versions of new films alongside the traditional 24 fps version. Of course, with all the challenges that HFR faces from both technological limitations and audience expectations, it will take years to grow into a widespread practice.

Although it started as a technical limitation for early films, the standard frame rate became a defining characteristic of modern cinema. Moving away from it would not only be a jarring change for many viewers, but it's arguably an unnecessary change considering the many advantages of sticking with 24 fps. While there is value in experimenting with different visual techniques, HFR would ideally be offered as an additional option for viewing films rather than being treated as a complete replacement.