RelishMix DOTS Reports 2015
One Battle After Another / WB
SMU REACH:
Pre-release social media universe SMU stats on One Battle After Another have throttled to 2.5X above action-adventure thriller genre norms across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram combined.
CAST (BOLD = Activated):
Cast Activation Level:
Cast activation on One Battle is notably boosted by Leo DiCaprio at 96.5 M, who historically does not promote creative projects, but is fully in the mix for this film — as well as Regina Hall at 6.7M and Chase Infiniti at 16K with Sean Penn, not activated.
CONVO:
Index (scale of 10, 1.0 being most negative, 5.0 is mixed and 10.0 most positive)
8-28-25:
POS:
Convo runs positive for One Battle After Another with fans buzzing like they just got the dream collab nobody dared to expect. Comments lean into the once-in-a-generation pairing of Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn and Paul Thomas Anderson as a “business-saving” moment for cinema, comparing the trailer to past seismic moments. As stated, “One Battle After Another gonna be the greatest Leonardo DiCaprio performance since The Wolf of Wall Street!!!” while another declares, “The best Hollywood star meets the best American filmmaker of our generation! Most anticipated.” Others riff on DiCaprio’s “Oscar magnet” status, saying “Leo doesn’t need the Oscar, the Oscar needs Leo,” and touting Greenwood’s score as an event in itself, drawing parallels to the sonic punch of PTA’s There Will Be Blood.
NEG:
Mixed-negative leaning chatter for One Battle After Another flags some cautious skepticism, while most gush over Leo and Benicio del Toro, a few commenters hedge their excitement with reminders of past disappointments. One notes, “Hope it’s not another Don’t Look Up scenario. Would be greatly disappointed,” poking at the risk of hype collapse. Another viewer layers in the niche-appeal warning typical of PTA discourse: “I love PT Anderson’s work myself, but his work varies from being mass appealing to very niche… you don’t want to recommend a picture without seeing it yourself.” These cooler takes act as counter-weights, suggesting that while the package is stacked, audiences fear the film could skew too art-house or stumble in execution.
Gabby’s Dollhouse / UNI
SMU REACH:
Pre-release social media universe SMU stats on Gabby’s Dollhouse Movie are running -62% below family animated genre norms across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram combined, noting that young children aren’t connected on social networks.
CAST (BOLD = Activated):
Cast Activation Level:
Gabby’s cast are activated with Gloria Estefan at 4.6M fans, Juliet Donenfeld at 27K and Laila Lockhart Kraner at 33K while Kristen Wiig is off the grid
CONVO:
Index (scale of 10, 1.0 being most negative, 5.0 is mixed and 10.0 most positive)
Comments are off.
The Strangers: Chapter 2 / LG
SMU REACH:
Pre-release social media universe SMU stats on The Strangers: Chapter 2 are running 30% below horror sequel genre norms across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram combined.
Cast Activation Level:
Strangers cast member Madelaine Petsch brings her 35.5M fans into the mix along with Troy Gutierrez at 1.3M fans.
CONVO: Index (scale of 10, 1.0 being most negative, 5.0 is mixed and 10.0 most positive)
M-8-26-25 — MIXED
POS: Convo runs mixed-positive for The Strangers: Chapter 2, right down the middle, reflecting equal parts hype and hostility, with the franchise brand carrying as much baggage as it does loyalty. Some fans are rallying around the slasher energy and banking on a step-up from the flat first installment. Some lean into comparisons, declaring, “This looks 100x better than the 1st remake,” and another saying it’s “at least better than Purge: Anarchy.” Some even embrace the meta, laughing at the evolving titles as a franchise quirk: “The Strangers, The Strangers: Prey at Night, then chapters 1, 2, and 3 lol.” Fans of Prey at Night argue it’s still the franchise’s best, but they’re on board to see how Chapter 2 lands. There’s an undercurrent of optimism that the unmasking angle or hospital setting could shake things up and reward long-time horror devotees.
NEG: Mixed-negative leaning chatter for The Strangers: Chapter 2 drowns in frustration about diminishing returns, broken promises, and recycled tropes. Comments include complaints such as “Chapter 1 was horrible.” Some viewers slam the marketing with, “Was that seriously a trailer of the trailer in the beginning? What could possibly be the point of that?” while others nitpick the mythology itself, saying, “I really don’t like that they gave them faces. It’s literally part of the psychological horror element that they don’t have faces.” Critics reach for comps too, saying “The Strangers: Prey at Night is a billion times better than the original and Chapter One, and even this!” and “The first remake was very subpar to the original. Hopefully this sequel will be better than the original sequel.” The chorus of “trash,” “boring,” and “not wasting my time” underscores a lack of faith in this trilogy experiment.
The Smashing Machine / A24 / 10-2-25
SMU REACH:
Pre-release social media universe SMU stats on The Smashing Machine are running -31% below sports bio drama genre norms across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram combined.
Cast Activation Level:
The Rock’s social network of 562M, have clocked over 83M views on his Instagram channel with 393M fans.
CONVO: Index (scale of 10, 1.0 being most negative, 5.0 is mixed and 10.0 most positive)
M-9-29-25: 7.1
POS: Convo runs positive for The Smashing Machine, with fans reveling in Dwayne Johnson finally ditching the “Rock persona” and stepping into something raw, vulnerable, and award-baiting. The Oscar chatter is relentless, with lines like “Rock’s not doing this movie to entertain. He’s doing this movie to win. Win awards” echoed alongside comparisons to The Wrestler and Iron Claw. Others marvel at the prosthetics and hair, noting “I didn’t even recognize that was the Rock” and applauding the Safdie stamp of credibility. The buzz frames this as a turning point, where Johnson is no longer the WWE action star but a serious contender—“This is potentially a big turning point in Dwayne Johnson’s career. After years of doing same old same old. He could really do something good with this.”
NEG: Mixed-negative leaning chatter for The Smashing Machine leans into skepticism over whether this is transformation or gimmick. Some dismiss it as “Oscar bait” or “the Rock trying to save his career,” while others quip that “the Rock having hair makes this borderline a horror film.” Fans nitpick casting, noting “a half Samoan guy playing a half Puerto Rican fighter” or saying he “still looks like the Rock lol.” Comparisons to Battlefield Earth creep in, and a few argue Dave Bautista would’ve been the better fit. Even among praise, there’s a thread of doubt: “I’ll give it a watch, but I don’t see Dwayne completely transformed like everyone is saying, I still see the Rock.”
Party Of A Showgirl / AMC
SMU REACH:
Pre-release social media universe SMU stats on Taylor Swift: Party Of A Showgirl are running 37% above recent concert theatrical norms across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram combined.
Part of what's super interesting and obvious about the campaign for this film, unlike traditional Hollywood movie runways, is how the instantaneous these projects can pop-up given the social media power that has been built over the last 17 years — which is pumped directly to over a half-a-billion (548M) Swifties across her social network. Since the wedding engagement announcement to Travis Kelsey, with 37.5M clicks on Aug 26 in Taylor’s Instagram, there have been 4 posts for the new Showgirl album and movie. There are no trailers on the TS YouTube channel and there are only stills posted on Instagram with over 20M likes from 282M followers. Post activity on X is extra strong and on TikTok, materials are sparse, but there are 117K fan posts across TikTok.
Cast Activation Level:
Taylor is 100% onboard with her 548M fans across all major social platforms.
CONVO: Index (scale of 10, 1.0 being most negative, 5.0 is mixed and 10.0 most positive)
POS: Convo runs positive for Taylor Swift: Showgirl, with Swifties treating the drop like the second coming of cinema itself. Fans are screaming, crying, planting flowers in the shape of a “T,” and rearranging birthdays and baby deliveries just to be in theaters. The excitement carries comparisons to MCU-level hype, with one fan predicting her “Dazzler” cameo in Avengers Doomsday and another calling her a “showgirl extraordinaire.” Comments like “I’m screaming out of my lungs RN MOTHERRR Taylor Swift” and “I planted bulbs in the shape of a big T for Taylor” show the scale of devotion.
NOTE - SOME NEG: Mixed-negative leaning chatter for Taylor Swift: Showgirl bubbles up from those burned by AMC’s ticket queues and technical frustrations like “Kicked me out trying to pay, I think I’ve seen this film before” echo the Ticketmaster fiasco.