The newest phrase that fills the media, and general masses’ mouths when it comes to movie theaters is: “they’re dying.” With the rise of streaming services and the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, many people feel it’s easier to stay at home in their bed or couch, and to avoid the over-priced uncomfortable nature of the movie theater. According to PBS, “The gross receipts for 2022 were down about 30%, 35% from 2019 pre-pandemic, and that coincided with about a 30% reduction in the number of the movies that went to theaters that year,” (Yang, 2023). It’s evident people want to be in a place where they feel comfortable, however, there is an element of movie theaters that can not be replaced.
I understand the feeling of wanting to be in one’s comfortable habitat, for many succumb to it from time to time; but the experience of watching a movie for the first time belongs in a theater. The giant screen expands images to great heights making you feel almost as though you are a character in the film. The surround sound, dark lighting, and red velvety curtains allow for us to be engulfed in the images in front of us.
Not to mention, the expectation of turning your phone off to respect the fellow audience members allows you to get further immersed in the film. When you’re watching a film on a streaming service it’s so easy to get distracted by your smartphone or surroundings causing the immersing quality of films to be lost.
The physical aspects of the movie theater aids the enveloping experience, but the most compelling part of seeing a film at the movie theater is the unifiable experience with those whom you are watching with. Being able to immerse yourself within a story along with those around you is a unique connection. One of the most phenomenal experiences ever is when an audience is so moved by a film that they end by giving it an ovation (you’re not going to give a film an ovation when you’re sitting alone in your room). There is an isolating aspect of streaming services, excluding people from the emotional connection of watching a movie with strangers who are feeling the same emotions.
It’s comforting to hear other people laugh when you laugh, cry when you cry, or jump when you jump. I always love when you come out of the theater and everyone is talking about what they witnessed. You can hear the happiness, shock, and empoweredness in everyone’s voices. Movie theaters connect us to one another, they allow us to have a shared experience, and without that: the world becomes a lonelier place.
There have been some recent attempts with large blockbuster films such as Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Top Gun: Maverick, but these movies alone can’t compete with the powers streaming services hold. More and more production companies are releasing their films straight to these streaming platforms and skipping theatrical releases. I think it’ll be a sad world if movie theaters really do die, but I think these blockbusters have done a good job re-sparking interest in people to go to the movies.
Yet, every time I go to the movie theater, it’s never full, the lobby is sparse, and the electricity from excited voices is nowhere to be found. I do hope that others find their way back to the movies because I know I’ve had some of my fondest memories there. Attending the movies with friends, family, and seeing a movie you’ve waited months to see – there is no greater feeling, and my wish for the rest of the world is to get that feeling back.