Let’s be honest—“It holds up” gets thrown around more than Fast & Furious sequels. But what does it really mean when we say a movie still works decades later? Is it some mystical combination of nostalgia and lowered expectations? Or is there something deeper at play?
At The Regular Guy Movie Show, we believe the answer is yes—and no. We’re not film snobs. We’re not dissecting camera angles or using phrases like “mise-en-scène” unironically. We’re just three guys with decent taste and strong opinions trying to figure out if the movies we grew up with are still worth your time.
So here’s our highly scientific* breakdown of what actually makes a movie hold up.
(*Not at all scientific.)
The Plot Isn’t a Dumpster Fire
We’re not asking for Shakespeare here. We just want a story that makes sense, doesn’t bore us to death, and doesn’t fall apart the second you think about it for more than ten seconds. If it still hooks you—even when you know the ending—it’s doing something right.
✅ Holds Up: Die Hard. Simple, effective, and Bruce Willis isn’t wearing a cape.
❌ Doesn’t Hold Up: Anything that hinges on a misunderstanding that could be solved by one phone call.
The Characters Still Work (And Aren’t Just Walking Red Flags)
If your main characters are still likable (or hateable in the right way), and you’re still quoting their lines 20 years later, congrats—your movie passed the vibe check. But if everyone on screen feels like a cartoon drawn by someone who’s never met another human being, we’ve got a problem.
✅ Holds Up: The Goonies. Chaotic, loud, kind of annoying—but somehow still lovable.
❌ Doesn’t Hold Up: When the hero is basically a walking HR complaint.
The Jokes Didn’t Age Like Milk
Comedy is tricky. What made people howl in the ’80s might get you canceled today. If a movie’s humor still hits—and doesn’t rely on jokes that punch down, creep you out, or make you go “yikes”—that’s a big win.
✅ Holds Up: Ghostbusters. Bill Murray is still a vibe.
❌ Doesn’t Hold Up: That one “funny” scene that now requires a trigger warning and a lengthy apology.
The Special Effects Don’t Make You Laugh (Unless They’re Supposed To)
We’re not expecting modern CGI perfection, but if the effects look like a high school PowerPoint project, we’re out. That said, practical effects and creative filmmaking age a lot better than early computer-generated disasters.
✅ Holds Up: Jurassic Park. Dinosaurs still look better than half of what we see today.
❌ Doesn’t Hold Up: Anything that makes you squint and ask, “Was that supposed to be a robot or a blob of yogurt?”
The Vibe Still Hits
Some movies just feel right. Doesn’t matter if you’ve seen them ten times—if they still give you goosebumps, make you laugh, or punch you in the feels, that’s timeless. Vibes > logic. Always.
✅ Holds Up: Rocky. Even if you’re not a boxing fan, you’ll be shadowboxing by the end.
❌ Doesn’t Hold Up: Anything that only worked because you were 12 and jacked up on soda.
So… What Does It Mean to “Hold Up”?
It means a movie still has its magic. It might be a little cheesy, sure. Maybe the clothes are hilarious and the soundtrack screams “I rented this from Blockbuster.” But if it still works—if it still entertains, still makes you feel something, and doesn’t make you want to apologize for ever liking it—then yeah, it holds up.
At The Regular Guy Movie Show, that’s what we’re chasing. We’re not here to trash the past. We’re here to revisit it, roast it when it deserves it, and celebrate the stuff that’s still awesome.