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Rising ticket prices have contributed to lessening popularity of movie theaters.In 1896, Thomas Edison opened the first cinema in America, featuring a moving film on a small projector screen. In the decades since, movie theaters became the way most people saw films and became ingrained in the American experience.
But in recent years, ticket price inflation and the rising availability of movies streaming at home have diminished movie theaters to the point that I find myself no longer visiting them.
For decades, one of the main appeals of watching movies in theaters was to take advantage of an exclusive theatrical window where new films played only in cinemas. Before the pandemic, theater-only releases could last up to 90 days, forcing eager viewers to go to the cinema rather than waiting for a streaming service release. And even though DVDs were a popular alternative to in-theater movie viewings early in the century, streaming services have become the preferred and most convenient option for viewers.
During the pandemic, films like “Mulan,” “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Trolls: World Tour” skipped their theatrical release periods and appeared on streaming services immediately. In the past five years, the shortening of these exclusive periods allowed many viewers to instead wait for movies to be released onto other platforms. According to a survey conducted by AP-NORC, in August, 75% of adults preferred to stream movies at home rather than watch them at movie theaters.
As a highschooler, the overall theater experience is declining as well. In June 2024, I went to watch “Despicable Me 4” with my family of four. Not including the overpriced popcorn and drinks we purchased, our total spending on the one outing amounted to $87, a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a one-time showing of a movie on a big screen.
As the theater lights dimmed and a booming voice shouted at everyone to silence their phones, I glared at the child sitting next to me for hogging my cup holder with his drinks. Unfazed, he proceeded to munch on his popcorn loudly for the duration of the movie.
Throughout the movie, I thought to myself: For a fraction of the price, I could lounge comfortably on my couch with peace and quiet, full control of how I wanted to experience the film — and most importantly, have unlimited snacks at hand.
To buy a movie from any platform, the price range is typically $24.99 to $29.99 for a newly released movie on a streaming platform, much less than the $87 I spent to watch in theaters. In addition, after you purchase a movie, you can watch it as many times as you would like, on any device. There is also the option for renting a movie, typically for around $19, though I find buying the movie a better deal.
Though watching on a smaller television screen isn’t as satisfying as the big screen, viewers are compensated by the convenience of staying at home and having the option to adjust the settings of the movie and personalize the movie environment. For instance, if someone prefers to watch movies with subtitles, they could easily just change the settings on their television or streaming service rather than searching to find the right in-person screening with those preferences. With new improvements being made to T.V. technology, screen size, display and sound quality rival those of movie theaters. Some T.V.’s can even be up to 96 inches!
In the past 20 years, the prices of movie theater tickets have outpaced even the general inflation rate and have increased by 68% while the quality of snacks, seats and environment remain constant. While movie theaters will remain iconic in the minds of many, the factors in favor of home streaming greatly outweigh the communal experience of watching a film in a theater.
