In the wise words of actress Nicole Kidman, “We come to this place for magic.” These are the opening lines to her viral ad for AMC theaters, which often plays during previews. She goes on to say, “We come to AMC theaters to laugh, to cry, to care.”
The ad was created to encourage people to go to the theater after the coronavirus pandemic forced people to stay home. The pandemic, plus two separate Hollywood strikes in 2023, led to an increase in the popularity of streaming movies as an alternative. Still, there is still something irreplaceable about the experience of going to see a movie in theaters.
Going to the theater turns passively watching a movie into an experience which you can share with friends — and strangers. Experiencing the same emotions creates a sense of connection and community. An article from The Washington Post also found that laughter is scientifically contagious. Think about how much more expressive you may be at the theater, compared to watching something alone in your living room.
The movie theater also features better technology than the average person has at home, which allows you to become more immersed in the film. At AMC theaters — the largest movie theater chain in the world — this includes Dolby brand audio systems with surround sound, IMAX image enhancement, laser and 3D projection. And of course, the comfortable reclining chairs, which a striking 37% of respondents said was their reason for going to the movies in a poll for IndieWire.
Over the summer I saw the movie “Twisters” starring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones in 4D and I can absolutely say that it enhanced my movie watching experience. It’s a sequel to the 1996 film “Twister” about a group of storm chasers. At the theater I went to, my seat moved back and forth during the tornado scenes and I had wind and water sprayed at me, making me feel like I was chasing storms alongside Powell and Edgar-Jones — though I don’t want to know how old that water was.
Similarly, when I saw “Wicked” in November, the high-quality speakers enhanced Cynthia Erivo’s iconic whistle tone and the big screen made me feel like I was attending Shiz University myself. I dressed in green for the occasion and forced my sister to wear pink.
I was inspired by trends on TikTok which encouraged people to dress up in suits for the release of “Minions: The Rise of Gru” in 2022 and to dress up as their favorite version of the titular character for “Barbie” in 2023. I wore pink to “Barbie” and invited my mom with me after I heard people talking about the sense of nostalgia and girlhood elicited by the film. It was cool to look around the theater and see almost everybody dressed up as well. Talk about bonding before the movie even starts!
Once I’m inside the theater, I live for the excitement of finding my seat and the suspense of the lights going down and the opening scene beginning. I decided my preferred movie snack was Junior Mints in probably fourth grade, and I have yet to stray from it. Once the movie is done, I also love the feeling of refreshment walking out of the theater after taking a break from real life.
Although watching movies at home is more convenient and cheaper, I feel as though you get less value out of the film. It’s sort of like making coffee at home vs going to Starbucks.
In today’s world we are inundated by content on social media and streaming services, causing us to sometimes prioritize quantity over quality. Taking time to really appreciate a film makes it more satisfying and memorable. To this day my friend Nathalie and I like to brag about iconic movies we saw in theaters (“The Hunger Games,” “Pitch Perfect 2,” “The Greatest Showman”).
Plus, as I’ve noticed my attention span getting shorter thanks to the popularity of short-form content, I find myself having difficulty sitting through a movie at home. I‘m tempted to pause movies and I don’t always return to them, or I just scroll on my phone while they are playing.
The good news for theater lovers like myself is that box office revenue did increase 31% from 2022 to 2023, but it is still 15% lower than in 2019, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
In order to preserve this valuable experience I encourage you to grab your friends and go out to see a movie in theaters.
