There is an alternate theory for why movies were more varied, creative and experimental from the late 80s until the 00s: The rise of Megaplexes, particularly AM

There is an alternate theory for why movies were more varied, creative and experimental from the late 80s until the 00s: The rise of Megaplexes, particularly AMC, which greatly increased the number of screens and showings available and made smaller, non-mainstream films economically viable. However, by the early 00s a sort of "movie screen bubble" had formed and weird movies declined again in favor of blockbusters. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-megaplex/ https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-megaplex/