今年的中國國慶檔電影市場表現，再次引發業界與觀眾的廣泛關注與討論。據統計，今年國慶檔的平均票價創下近五年來的最低水平，但即便如此，票房表現仍不理想，觀眾對影片的整體評價也普遍偏中等，未見明顯亮點。對比往年，這種市場表現背後折射出的，不僅是票房數字的低迷，更是整個電影行業面對低迷市場所呈現出的一種「頹氣」與無奈。

今年國慶檔尚未過半，多部主力影片就宣布在10月4日統一調整發行價，以期透過「降價」吸引更多觀眾。隨後，10月8日「半路發車」的影片《震耳欲聾》也宣布降價。顯然，這種集體降價行動並未如預期般挽回觀影人次，也未能刺激票房回暖。對於整個行業而言，目前似乎只有兩種方式被認為是「救市利器」：一是提升影片質量，二是降低票價。然而，實際情況並不樂觀。

從影片本身來看，主力院線電影的整體質量確實有提升，但整個行業存在的「口碑通脹」現象，使得黑馬影片逆襲的可能性越來越低。觀眾的娛樂需求更新快速，而電影供給與觀影節奏在時間上存在不匹配，這也導致影片口碑呈現兩極分化：部分影片獲得好評，但也有不少影片口碑平平，難以真正「出圈」。因此，寄希望於透過單純「提質」來扭轉市場頹勢，在短期內幾乎不可能實現。

今年國慶檔多部影片的降價行為，其實是一個顯著信號——即行業對市場低迷的無奈。觀眾如今關心的，已不再是票價降低了幾元錢，而是「值不值得花這個錢」。即便影片在宣傳中標榜「高口碑」，真正能吸引觀眾的出圈作品卻寥寥無幾。換句話說，降價若無法真正提升觀影價值，短期內整個行業就已經陷入困境。

更深層的問題在於，持續的大規模虧損迫使影片在發行和宣傳上不斷「降本」，這又進一步削弱了影片吸引觀眾的能力。每個檔期都有觀眾流失，短時間內市場回暖幾乎成為不可能完成的任務。綜合來看，今年國慶檔平均票價創下七年來最低，降價行為未能有效挽回觀眾，凸顯出中國電影市場當前面臨的困境：影片質量提升空間有限，觀眾對價值的敏感度提高，而行業在短期內缺乏有效的突破手段，整體呈現出一種「低票價、低人氣、低增長」的頹勢。

This year’s Golden Week film market in China has drawn widespread attention from both the industry and audiences. Statistics show that the average ticket price during this year’s National Day holiday reached its lowest level in nearly five years, yet despite the reduced prices, box office performance remained underwhelming, and audience reviews of the films were generally mediocre. Compared to previous years, this performance reflects not just weak box office numbers but also the sense of despondency and helplessness permeating the film industry in the face of a sluggish market.

Even before the Golden Week period was halfway through, several major films announced on October 4 a unified adjustment of ticket prices in hopes of attracting more viewers. Later, on October 8, the late-release film Deafening also announced a price reduction. Clearly, these collective “discounts” did not succeed in bringing audiences back to theaters or in reviving box office revenue. For the industry as a whole, there appear to be only two perceived “rescue strategies”: improving film quality or lowering ticket prices. However, the reality is far less optimistic.

In terms of content, the overall quality of major theatrical releases has indeed improved, but the industry-wide phenomenon of “reputation inflation” has made it increasingly difficult for so-called “dark horse” films to achieve breakout success. Audience entertainment demand is updating rapidly, while film supply and viewing schedules do not always align. This mismatch has caused audience evaluations to become highly polarized: some films receive praise, but many others are mediocre and fail to capture broad attention. Consequently, relying solely on quality improvement to reverse the market slump is virtually impossible in the short term.

The widespread ticket price reductions this Golden Week signal the industry’s desperation in a weak market. Modern audiences care less about saving a few yuan and more about whether the film is worth the price paid. Even when films promote themselves as having “high reputation,” few truly manage to stand out or go viral. In other words, lowering prices alone cannot restore audience turnout, leaving the industry with few short-term solutions.

A deeper problem lies in the fact that ongoing large-scale losses force films to cut costs in distribution and marketing, further reducing their appeal to audiences. With viewers continuously drifting away from one release period to the next, a market rebound in the short term seems nearly impossible. Overall, this year’s Golden Week saw the lowest average ticket prices in seven years, and price reductions failed to bring audiences back. This highlights the current challenges in China’s film market: limited room for quality improvement, heightened audience sensitivity to value, and a lack of effective short-term solutions, leaving the industry in a “low price, low attendance, low growth” slump.