The end of December is usually the time when the last round of award winning films are released into theaters. After all, most people see at least a couple of movies over their holiday break. However, this holiday season saw the release of the controversial Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy, The Interview. It was initially released in a limited amount of theaters, then officially released for purchase online. The Interview is a comedy that follows Franco, a talk show host, and Rogen, his producer, as they go to North Korea to interview Kim Jong-un. They are then tasked by the CIA to assassinate the dictator.

The first trailer for The Interview came out in June, but it wasn’t until November that Sony, who distributes the film, was hacked. The hackers, “The Guardians of Peace,” began to leak private emails between the Sony higher-ups. They then focused on the release of The Interview, and threatened to attack theaters who would show the film. This caused big chain theaters like AMC and Regal to pull the film. Sony was forced to pull the plug on The Interview’s theatrical release. However, Sony soon put the film up online on Youtube and gave it a limited release in theaters starting on Christmas day. The amount of controversy surrounding the film gave it constant media attention.

North Korean leaders were angered by the film and how it depicted their leader, Kim Jong-un. They were appalled by the film’s premise: an assassination attempt on Kim.

“They made [Kim] seem like a goof,” said Junior Lee Muszynski. Muszynski saw the film the first day it was released on Youtube.

The film has currently made $31 million through video on demand, and $5 million at the box office. Thirty six million dollars less than a month into a comedy movie’s release isn’t that bad. But many people are debating if the hacks on Sony, as well as the film’s media attention, raised interest in the film and caused it to be more successful.

“I think it probably made it more successful,” said Film Study teacher Rachel Sadauskas. “There was a lot of media attention that was brought to it, that wouldn’t have necessarily come about unless they had refused to release it. Then President Obama made such a big deal about it, and then they ultimately chose to release it. So I think it also ended up being a media circus around this film.”

The Interview is not the first film to stir up some criticism. 2012’s Academy Award-winning film Zero Dark Thirty has been criticized for taking a pro-torture stance in its interrogation scenes. Peter King, a representative from Congress, even accused the screenwriters of Zero Dark Thirty of having access to classified military files on the Osama Bin-Laden manhunt. The 2004 comedy Team America: World Police also satirized North Korea’s former leader, Kim Jong-il. He is shown as a crazed dictator who wants to destroy the rest of the world with his nuclear missiles. After his plan is foiled at the end of the film, he reveals himself to be a cockroach from an alien planet who leaves to plot his revenge. While these films were made to entertain movie going audiences, their sensitive topics regarding terrorism and evil world leaders caused many to be offended.

“It’s important to make statements about real societal problems,” said Sadauskas. “Sometimes we learn through the satire something new about the situation. I don’t think art should be stifled. I’m a strong believer in that.”

Film studios won a moral victory after Sony released The Interview because it did not lead to violence and bloodshed as the perpetrators of the hacks threatened. Art should be allowed to make statements on the problems going on around the world, and more importantly, artists should never give in to the demands of terrorists who do not want that art released.