There’s something soothing about settling back in that dark room, where moving pictures are displayed and bleacher rows of leather-lined seats—occasionally, heated recliners!—reassure me like a parent to a restless baby: “It’s okay now, Kayla.” The lights dim, the projector whirs, and the audience gets to soar in the sky with Elphaba from Wicked, trek the multiverse with Peter Parker in Spiderman: No Way Home, and eat fantastical candies with chocolatier Willy in Wonka.
The movie theater is where we go to bathe in awe for the world’s grandeur. Whether at a commercial Cinemark or an indie movie theater tucked into San Francisco’s Chinatown, I believe that there is little better than an epic cinematic experience at theaters.
Lately, though, it’s been feeling lonelier in theaters than it used to be. Online and in person, I’ve started hearing the remark more and more that movie theaters are dying. I acknowledge that this is the decade in which streaming services are changing cinema forever, but I’ll continue to cling to my love for theaters. We can and should continue to support our local theaters, though we will not and cannot do the same as we did a decade ago.
Our moviegoing patterns have changed, according to a March 2024 study. Rather than view movies during their theatrical release, two-thirds of surveyed American adults prefer to wait for new movies’ release on streaming services. To reinforce this trend, the yearly gross of pre-pandemic movies floated around $11 billion, while last year’s was $8.5 billion.
This drop in profit for movies means a decrease in income for movie theaters, and itt worries me that this could impact the quality of experience that theaters provide. On Nextdoor, recently, neighbors have complained about the maintenance and food quality at the local Cinépolis theater in San Mateo. On one thread with 58 comments, one user offered his solution: “I have Netflix, Prime, and Safeway!! Problem solved.”
Is the problem really solved?
I don’t think so, though many argue that streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ allows viewers of movies and television to enjoy media from the comfort of their couches, with cheaper food, and less time wasted. They argue that it’s a better experience—but this justification couldn’t be further from the truth.
When I watch a movie at home, I find myself watching films while scrolling TikTok. My hand lingers on the remote to fast-forward to a scene that looks decently interesting, and my family loudly clambers in the kitchen behind me. I just can’t immerse myself in the world that the filmmakers have created. It’s really not as comfortable as we think.
I do understand that a lazy night at home can sometimes be exactly what we need. Still, there is something unparalleled about the experience of driving to a theater, finding a chair, watching the previews, and talking about the movie on the walk home. The experience of going to a movie theater does more than another night of mindlessly binging Netflix. It can create a meaningful memory with a loved one.
This powerful experience is made possible only by the dimmed lights and “silenced phone” policy of movie theaters, which help everyone collectively focus on a piece of artwork or entertainment for 90 minutes. Theaters provide a reprieve from all other worries, distractions, or commitments. Especially in the hustle culture of Silicon Valley, slowing down—without streaming services’ options to fast-forward, skip the intro, or switch movies five minutes in—is exactly what we need to emotionally rejuvenate ourselves.
Beyond ourselves, spending money on tickets and food at a local theater can help support local businesses and people. At smaller theaters, I think that every ticket can make a difference for staff salaries, facilities maintenance, and profit. Even at big theaters part of chains like Cinemark or AMC, spending money on tickets increases the amount that the institutions pay in local taxes.
Now, viewing films on streaming services is certainly not morally impermissible. While theaters typically can only screen a handful of films at any given time, there is a much more diverse selection online. Indie filmmakers can distribute their films that would be impossible to see on a big screen, and foreign-language films have a larger presence on streaming services than in theaters.
I also understand that average ticket prices rise every year, and that it’s getting more and more expensive to watch films in theaters. A rebuttal against theaters is that it’s just too pricey to watch every movie at an AMC, but that moviegoing lifestyle isn’t what I’m advocating.
Instead, it’s not one or the other. For the next new movie that really piques our interests, we may all consider booking tickets at the local Cinemark. There are altruistic reasons, but there are also selfish ones I feel unashamed to admit.
Seeing cinema at the cinema is the closest we can get to traveling to a foreign place without an airplane. Theaters provide immersion into a film that is unforgettable, incomparable, and magical. Go book a ticket at a local movie theater for the latest Disney, Marvel, or A24 film—you will walk away with a much more poignant experience of and respect for the motion-picture.
