Movie theaters are special. When you walk into a movie theater, tread on the soft carpet, and smell buttered popcorn wafting through the air. Then you buy snacks, find your theater, and sit down on the comfortable reclining chairs, watch as the lights of the theater darken, and focus your attention on the screen as it begins to project the beginning of a movie; you listen as the sound systems flare to life, immersing you in the world with the music and sound effects that swirl around you. It’s an experience that nearly everybody has done, and although streaming services may be more convenient, movie theaters are the superior way to watch movies.
In recent years, movie theater attendance has declined due to the rise of streaming. As streaming giants such as Netflix, Disney+, and HBO become the industry standard over theater chains such as Cinemark, less and less people flock to see movies in theaters.
“Three quarters of adults chose to stream a new movie at home instead of going to the theater in the last year,” according to a study by APNorc. This is a far cry from the decades before, where people were far more likely to go to theaters than to stream it.
Movies such as Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Force Awakens drew crowds upon crowds, earning billions of dollars. Nowadays, Marvel movies barely make back their budget, if that. And some of this is due to the overall quality of films: movies such as Captain America: Brave New World and Snow White gained terrible critical reviews. But even well-reviewed films like Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning failed to turn a profit; less and less people are going to movie theaters.
‘Why should I go to the theater?’ you may ask. ‘I have everything I need at home.’ And that may be true: You may have a large TV, a comfortable couch, and snacks at your home. Movie theaters have bigger screens and louder, more immersive sound systems, something streaming will almost always fail to replicate. These modern additions make going to the movies far more immersive and interesting.
The large screens project the movies in the highest quality possible, such as 4K, while TVs at home often display 1080p resolution or less. Plus, the screen is just bigger, automatically making the movie more enjoyable. Surround sound speakers create a sense of being in the movie, which is hard to replicate at home. Add in comfortable chairs and snacks, and you make an unforgettable experience.
When you watch a movie in theaters, it’s a communal event. You’re watching a movie with other people: you can see their reactions, hear them gasp or scream in surprise or shock. It adds to the movie, making the dramatic twists hit even harder, making the jump-scares more terrifying, making the action scenes more intense. Watching a movie with strangers enhances the movie itself. While you can have friends and family over to watch a movie at home, it’s not the same as watching it in theaters with dozens of people.
Now, one of the biggest qualms people have about going to the movies is the price. Tickets to movies can cost upwards of $13.17, according to the New York Post, while streaming services cost around $9 a month, on average. Also, when you factor in buying snacks, going to the movies, especially with a large group of people, can begin to be expensive to the average moviegoer.
Streaming seems more affordable; but in reality, streaming is oftentimes more expensive. First of all, you have to buy your own TV, with the best costing close to or over $1000. Most households also subscribe to several streaming services, bumping up that simple $9 a month to $18 or more. And, according to Allconnect.com, that $9 is for the tier with advertisements.
If you want to stream movies or TV shows without the ads, it can cost close to $25 per streaming service, bringing that $18 to $50, assuming you have two streaming services. You’re also paying that each month. For a year, that’s $600, plus $1000 for a TV, and even more if you have more than two streaming services. That’s a crazy amount of money, especially considering movie tickets cost on average only $13.17.
Theater-based movies are the best way to watch films. The next time you think about watching a movie at home, go to the movies instead. The bigger screens, more immersive sound systems, the communal experience, and the cheaper prices all combine to make it the perfect way to watch movies. Streaming costs large amounts of money, especially if you don’t want advertisements; theater prices look tiny in comparison. Movie theaters are special; we shouldn’t let them die out.
