Movie audiences are no longer just watching a film; they’re enduring a visual assault. Across the multiplex from superhero showdowns to espionage thrillers, a disorienting trend has taken hold: the shaky camera, paired with editing so rapid it borders on a strobe light effect. While intended to create a sense of gritty realism and kinetic urgency, this technique has become a cheap substitute for the foundational elements of great visual storytelling.
A fight scene should be a ballet of violence, a conversation between bodies, not a blurry, nauseating mess. Yet, we’re too often given a chaotic sequence where you can’t see the punches and the location of the action is lost in quick cuts and camera jolts. The viewer is left with a headache and a vague idea of what happened rather than the satisfying clarity of a well-executed duel. This approach robs actors and stunt performers of the chance to showcase their skills, turning their work into a fleeting, unintelligible blur.
Compare this to masters of choreographed action. Filmmakers like Buster Keaton and Jackie Chan didn’t hide behind rapid edits; they celebrated the full, unbroken movement of their performers. Similarly, films like George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” proved that high-octane action can be both visceral and easy to follow. By using wide shots and deliberate camera work, Miller let audiences fully grasp the scale, speed and danger of every car chase, turning each sequence into a masterpiece of organized chaos.
The overuse of shaky cameras and frantic editing portrays a lack of confidence in the on-screen talent and the choreography itself. It’s easier to hide a sloppy stunt or poorly planned sequence by cutting away every half second than it is to meticulously block and film an action scene that can be appreciated in a single, fluid shot. This stylistic crutch has become a default for a generation of filmmakers who mistake disorientation for dynamism.
The best action sequences aren’t about what’s hidden but what’s revealed. They’re a testament to the hard work of everyone from the stunt coordinator to the cinematographer. It’s time for Hollywood to stop shaking the camera and start trusting in the power of clear, well-choreographed visual storytelling to captivate an audience.
