Most people treat film in a not serious way. .
Some might not, but many do... I also think an audience can be cultivated. You mentioned Criterion. Let's say that was the replacement on Netflix. At first, they might be taken aback, like I was when I first saw "Minnie and Moskowitz", because so many movies are similar, regardless of how different they appear on the surface. Every movie buff probably started watching mainstream stuff. Some get sick of it, and some (like me) rent things they haven't seen, and after a while, they become more self-aware and start to enjoy Criterion type of movies, because they've had practice, and can prepare for another movie that is unique from the rest.
The problem is those in power think very lowly of the audience, because they're out of touch, elitist, and think they're smarter than everyone else. Great art doesn't leave anyone cold. People just understand varying degrees of it, usually relating it to their own life. I read it all the time. "Yeah, ME and YOU appreciate great works of art, but the audience is dumb".. If you keep giving them dumb stuff, they'll watch it, like the movies you mentioned (that I didn't quote), because they're not given much choice and the public is being treated as children, which is the rise of movies made for children, even if the characters are adults. Problem-solution type of movies. Formulas.
"Rocky" was an low-budget independent movie, but when it made a ton of money (like "Easy Rider"), the indie label went away because of commerce. I'd add that studios never take chances, and make many less movies, hoping everything is a blockbuster, which many film historians admit after Star Wars, Jaws, etc..
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