The term 'Kino' originated in the mid-2010s on 4chan's film board, /tv/, as a shorthand for 'cinematography' or high-brow cinema that transcends mere movies. While initially used to discuss artistic and experimental films, the internet quickly adopted it as an ironic label for anything—from blockbusters to random shitposts—that feels grand, dramatic, or 'peak.' Today, the Kino meme is a staple of film Twitter and aesthetic communities, used to signal deep appreciation or humorous reverence for a piece of media that captures a specific, often pretentious, vibe of greatness.