Michael Keaton’s only foray into horror, the 2005 film White Noise, bombed with critics yet had a remarkably huge impact on the box office for other horror movies. From Batman to Mr. Mom, Michael Keaton’s movies have proven him to be one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. Across five decades of acting, Keaton has starred in projects of many genres, but his exploration of horror is particularly noteworthy.

While Keaton and Tim Burton’s collaboration on the acclaimed Beetlejuice movies ventures into horror, their heavy comedic focus often overshadows the scarier aspects. Directed by Geoffrey Sax, White Noise is a horror film that, despite some compelling moments, didn’t quite reach the impressive outcome it could have. Nevertheless, the movie played a significant role for Universal Studios.

White Noise Is Michael Keaton’s Only Real Horror Movie, And It’s… Not Great

Michael Keaton’s Performance Is White Noise’s Strongest Element

While Keaton is best known for his тιтular demon, Beetlejuice, White Noise uses horror elements more overtly than the actor’s collaborations with Burton, making it a more definitive example of the genre. While its premise is intriguing, with Jonathan Rivers’ compulsion to communicate with his wife beyond the grave, White Noise is often considered one of Keaton’s more forgettable and lesser-known films.

That’s not to say White Noise is a bad movie, but compared to other films in its field, it’s rather disappointing. The initial concept had significant potential, but the film’s execution proved underwhelming. It leans heavily on predictable and unconvincing jump scares, and a crucial mid-story moment that could have been a brilliant twist but ultimately feels underdeveloped, and fails to deliver any impact.

That being said, Keaton’s outstanding lead performance comes as no surprise. His performance elevates White Noise, adding an extra dimension that keeps you entertained and engaged throughout. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch Keaton stretch his acting muscles in a genuine horror film. His performance, a stark contrast to his comically dramatic role in Beetlejuice, is both credible and compelling.

White Noise Proved Horror Movies Could Succeed At The January Box Office

White Noise Had A Notable Impact During Its Debut In 2005

Historically, the box office performance of horror movies has often been tied to their release season. January is famously a particularly challenging month for horror films, many of which fail to achieve success early in the new year. This audience behavior is largely unexplainable, stemming from how we naturally perceive releases and a lack of strong incentives to change.

Upon its 2005 release, White Noise proved to be a highly influential film in the cinematic landscape. In fact, Universal Pictures chairman, Adam Fogelson, credited White Noise in the 2013 CinemaCon State of the Industry Panel for its impact. According to Fogelson (via IndieWire), Keaton’s unfortunate dealings with Universal Pictures inadvertently paved the way for horror movies to frequently open in January:

Anne Thompson: Why don’t more studios fill in the gaps that are all too apparent every first quarter, why don’t they book films all year round, as Universal does?

Adam Fogelson: As a studio that does not have the luxury of relying on tentpole films… the discipline of doing that has created a real confidence inside our organization that if you really examine the data, there are very few reasons other than historical behavior why almost any film can’t work on almost any weekend. There are any number of things. The first weekend in January used to be a non-starter for people, we had a this little horror movie “White Noise” that did business, and that has become a place where movies that that tend to operate/

Although the feature is considered a relatively “little horror movie” in terms of scale, White Noise still achieved an impressive box office return on a modest budget, earning over nine times its initial investment. White Noise was a huge financial success for Universal Studios, which meant its poor reviews ultimately held very little significance.

Source: IndieWire