As a movie buff, you’ve probably quoted some of your favorite lines from iconic films like Gone with the Wind, Star Wars, or The Terminator. However, if you’re like many viewers, you often find yourself struggling to remember them.
A survey conducted by the language learning site Preply found that a staggering 55% of Americans surveyed admitted to watching shows with subtitles on because the soundtracks were too hard to understand. This reliance on subtitles can be frustrating for those who work in the film industry. “I hate nothing more than when I’ve spent months working on a film, doing the sound and people say, what did they say?,” said Karen Baker Landers, an Academy Award-winning sound editor. Landers pointed out that a key factor in dialogue clarity is the hiring of the right people for the job. “I’ve worked on a couple of movies recently where the production recordist was very inexperienced and was hired because he was cheap,” she said. The early days of filmmaking required actors to project their voices and enunciate clearly, as microphones were not as sensitive as they are today. However, with advancements in microphone technology, speech clarity seems to have gotten worse. Matt Singer, editor of ScreenCrush.com, noted that there’s a fine line between nuance and mumbling. “I just saw Mickey 17, the new Bong Joon Ho film,” Singer said. “The lead actor Robert Pattinson does a very good job, but he’s doing a voice, a soft character voice, and I was like, what? What did he say?”
A layered sound design can also contribute to the problem. Directors often stack sound effects, ambient backgrounds, and music on top of each other, creating a dense sonic landscape. Christopher Nolan is known for this approach, as seen in films like Interstellar, Tenet, and The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan defended his philosophy in a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“I don’t agree with the idea that you can only achieve clarity through dialogue. Clarity of story, clarity of emotions — I try to achieve that in a very layered way using all the different things at my disposal — picture and sound.” Singer described Nolan’s style as “a choice to use dialogue almost as a sound effect.”
Where and how you watch can also impact dialogue clarity. If you’re watching on a small screen like a phone or tablet, you’re likely hearing compressed audio. Streaming platforms compress sound to prevent buffering, which can make dialogue harder to hear. Landers pointed out that there’s no industry-wide compression standard, which can result in varying levels of audio quality across different streaming services. Finally, the equipment itself can also play a role. A big-screen TV with tiny, tinny speakers can make dialogue sound muffled or distorted. With these factors combined, it’s no wonder that movie quotes are becoming increasingly difficult to remember.

As the film industry continues to evolve, it’s clear that dialogue clarity is a complex issue. While there’s no easy solution, understanding the factors that contribute to this problem can help viewers and industry professionals alike.
“I wish people would understand that dialogue clarity is not just about hearing the words, it’s about feeling the emotions and story behind it,” said Landers. With a better understanding of the challenges, we can work together to improve dialogue clarity and make movie quotes more memorable once again.