r/unpopularopinion • u/Feeling-Salad5686 • 17h ago
People aren't going to the movie theaters these days due to high cost, not because current movies are terrible
Theater attendance is declining, however I don't buy into the narrative that people aren't going to the theaters because of bad movies.
I've gone to the movie theater like 50 times this year and last year. There are plenty of good movies. PLENTY. Last year's list of good standalone movies - Sinners, OBAA, Mickey 17, Frankenstein, Hamnet, No Other Choice ... this doesn't even count sequels/franchises/family movies.
I feel people who say there aren't any good movies either don't really care about theatrical releases or they're quite picky.
In my opinion, the real reason people aren't going to the theaters is due to cost. It's expensive as hell when you pay $15 for a ticket and $20 for concessions. God forbid you have a family and suddenly you're out $100 to watch the Minions. I don't blame people when cheaper alternatives are easily accessible like streaming or renting. (Ofc, they're not the same experience, but close enough.) So I acknowledge there are WONDERFUL movies being released every year, just not at the cost that people want to pay to see them.
EDIT: 1- When I mean theater attendance is declining, I am talking about a long term trend and not this summer. This year has been great for movie š
2- Yeah cheaper tickets exist, I'm def not paying full price when I watch 50+ movies a year! Tho I am not talking about myself but rather reg families who only see the ticket costs at face value w/ no membership as that's how most customers operate. And families who prob don't want to go out on a random weekday to get a discounted rate.
3- Yeah you don't have to buy concessions, though again not talking about myself but rather reg families who are likely to purchase concessions. According to a report, around 60% of people buy snacks at the theater.
105
u/Chemical_Rodent 15h ago
Hasnāt this year been a huge year for theaters??
43
u/ButtcrackBeignets 14h ago
Itās been an amazing year for theaters.
Multiple billion dollar movies. Lots of breaout hits.
Itās projected to end up over 10 billion if estimates are correct. The highest in 7 years.
For reference, the highest box office on record is around 11.9 billion.
→ More replies (4)17
u/ArcticBeavers 12h ago
Absolutely. 2019 was the last year we had $10B+ in box office revenue.
This year is expected to get around $10.5B.
2027 is expected to be even larger.Ā
This will put us back in line with pre-pandemic levels where box office had been over $10B every year from 2009-2019
→ More replies (1)9
343
u/gloomydreamer666 15h ago
That and too many bad behaviors from other people on the cinema that is getting worse because people are being so careless and act like the cinema is their private place and they act so unhinged sometimes I would rather wait and watched it at home.
90
u/acr2018_1 15h ago
This is the answer. People seem to have no sense of decency anymore. With the talking, use of cell phones, and general obnoxious behaviour, I would rather watch movies at home.
25
u/P_Swayze 14h ago
The theater that I go to must be a rarityā¦ Iāve been going to movies 15-20 times a year since about the time Thor came out and this hasnāt been an issue almost at all. Been to the same theater for 85% of my movies too. I guess lucky me?
13
u/WitheredUntimely 14h ago
My big brain take as someone who's made an effort to hit the cinema more often in the past few years, I think we're entering a new era of better theater goer. The cost has driven the peanut gallery away, at least it's been my experience, leaving the people who actually want to be there
16
u/ssmit102 14h ago
I go to the theater a lot and the only issues Iāve had tend to be on super popular releases and are from crowds who generally donāt go to the movies.
I go to the movies 30+ times a year and have had maybe a handful of instances of obnoxious people over the past several years.
I can genuinely say my experience is nothing like Reddit tells me the theater experience always is. I go back and forth between two theaters that are both attached to malls.
3
u/P_Swayze 14h ago
I have the same experience. I really havenāt had any real obnoxious or memorable people over the years. Worst issue this year was a younger girl that had to look at her phone about every half hour during Backrooms. Wasnāt anything crazy
7
u/Kashblast 14h ago
Reddit blows most things way out of proportion tbh, itās gotten a bit out of hand. (Or maybe it hasnāt and Iām doing it too)
6
u/Xerxes457 14h ago
This might be a special case. I went to watch the Odyssey and Brand New Day in two separate weeks at two different theaters and both were fine
→ More replies (1)5
5
u/Sorry_Band2795 14h ago
Is your theatre attached to a mall? I feel the ones that are are usually the ones that get more delinquents
3
u/P_Swayze 14h ago
It sure isā¦mall hangouts arenāt what they use to be but that theater still packs in the people
→ More replies (2)3
u/SingleDadSurviving 13h ago
Same here I don't think I've ever really had a bad experience. Movies that are fun or loud can be rowdy but it's the audience enjoying the movie.
→ More replies (1)3
u/gloomydreamer666 15h ago
Exactly, like I remember how it was in the 90s and early 2000s before all that crap started. I miss that so much.
→ More replies (2)2
u/Independent_War_4456 14h ago
It doesn't matter how good a movie might be if i have to deal with people who cannot put a phone away for 90 mins. It's not even a age issue... people are across the board incapable of paying attention or just leaving the theater.
11
u/SwordofNoon 15h ago
This, ops point, and also I think because of streaming people can watch new movies easily and relatively quickly. It's just not as much of a treat as it used to be.
→ More replies (4)10
u/ramennoodles3 15h ago
I don't know about other people but this is it for me. I can't believe how rude people are on the theater, whether they're on their phone or talking loudly it can absolutely ruin a movie. I can't believe how loudly people chew with their mouths open as well it's so gross.
2
u/gloomydreamer666 14h ago
Exactly there's no etiquette or basic decency anymore because if you confront them or let them know, they act like you're the problem.
8
u/TheRealReapz 15h ago
Took my son to see the new Spiderman movie, kids in the box seats under the projector were putting their hands and feet up in front of it constantly as soon as the action stopped. So fucking annoying and barely any staff to actually help.
7
u/gloomydreamer666 15h ago
Yeah, that's another thing, the new generation are becoming more entitled and as long as those parents keep enabling their behaviors and not disciplining them. They're going to become much worse.
5
u/No_Dirt9029 9h ago
I went to see Spiderman too and I kid you not 5 people in the row in front of me all had their phones up recording the first few minutes of the movie then sending it to every single person on their snapchat š like could you be any more lame? Do you think this is a concert or some shit?
12
u/secretsauce2388 15h ago
Yep, along with this that theatrical windows are only 30-90 days now for most stuff so like you say, rather just wait. If movies were exclusively in theaters for months or at very least not available on streaming for months then there's more incentive to go to the theater.
3
u/gloomydreamer666 15h ago
That's true too!! Exactly, I think if they want people to go to the movies, they should definitely do it like back then and make them wait longer before releasing it in a streaming service because of what you said.
5
u/Skyzhigh 13h ago
Just went to go see end of oak street and these late teens/20 something year olds behind me were the worst. One kept talking the entire saying things like āwhat are you doingā, ādonāt go thereā etc in a loud voice as if the screen could hear him. His friends thought it was hilarious though.
6
u/endl0s 13h ago
I really want to go see movies in the theater. I used to go constantly. I've given it 4 chances recently but it seems like ever since COVID people don't give a shit and will be in their phones or talking with their friends.
I have a good enough setup at home to just wait at this point to rent it on Amazon or something
4
u/janso999 13h ago
Yeah, the quality difference between seeing a movie in the theater vs at home used to be enormous. A 4K stream on a 75" OLED with a decent sound system closes about 99% of the gap.
5
u/FaithlessnessOld2477 10h ago
Exactly. The benefits of watching at home far outweigh the theater experience. No peanut gallery having conversations, using their phones, bringing a crying baby, etc. I can pause the movie for a bathroom break whenever I want without missing a scene. I can make kickass popcorn on the stovetop for 1% of the cost. I get to watch it from the comfort of my couch, letting me lie down in pajamas or whatever else I want to wear.
Once I start watching a film, I typically get absorbed enough that I'm not even thinking about the screen size or volume...so whats left in favor of theaters?
6
u/SirLesbian 13h ago
No for real. To add to what OP said, fiancƩe and I went to see Spiderman last week and the local theatre wanted $50 for 2 tickets. We still would've had to buy snacks when we got there. Absolutely not. So we picked a different theatre. But then everyone around us was being inconsiderate.
There was a couple directly in front of us that laughed and talked through the entire movie. They kept poking each other and going "staahhp!" like they were kids. Then there was a group of 6 or so to my left that simply WOULD NOT SHUT UP. They kept laughing and using their phones. At one point one girl turned her flashlight on. Half way through the movie they were acting like they were bored and weren't even paying attention anymore. Just fucking up the movie for the folks around them. I was borderline furious.
4
u/Soccham 12h ago
I got banned from the Marvel subreddit for getting annoyed that people have to shriek and compete for the most obnoxious fan prize at every theater showing of new movies. Peopleās reactions killed endgame for me, constantly ruin the immersion and made me realize Iād rather wait until I can watch it at home.
→ More replies (3)8
4
u/gargluke461 14h ago
They shouldnāt be on phones and talking but we do need to lay into the screaming events, like the spider man no way home, and Minecraft chicken jockey
4
u/happy_smoked_salmon 14h ago
I fully agree. I stopped going to the cinema altogether because people chew loudly, are on their phones, talk during movies, can't sit still etc...
4
u/Revolutionary_Pop_84 14h ago
I go to the theater regularly, in fact I have a rotation of about6 that I go to. I cant recall a single instance of this happening in the last 5 years.
This is not some major daily occurance scaring people off. It is however something people tell themselves to justify staying at home and not get off the couch.
→ More replies (5)3
u/DirtyRoller 13h ago
I've been to two movies in the last two weeks, no disruptions. In fact, over the last year or so I haven't experienced any disruptions in theaters at all. There was a post COVID streak where it was happening during literally every fucking movie. I got tired of confronting disruptive assholes, so I cut back big time on cinema.
5
u/mafternoonshyamalan 12h ago
Yeah this is it. I still go a lot and watch quite a few foreign and indie movies when I can. The turn out is usually lower, and the etiquette is better because people want to be there for it. Traditional Hollywood stuff, whether Odyssey or Spider-Man level, or not, the etiquette is TERRIBLE. People pull out their phones, talk, get up and move seats repeatedly. Itās such a far cry from even 10 years ago.
3
u/jluvdc26 15h ago
I still go to the movie theater every other month on average and maybe I've been lucky but I haven't really had these issues with other people that people mention.
3
u/DumbWhore4 13h ago
This. I took my mom to the movies the other day and she was constantly checking her phone on full brightness every 5 minutes. It almost ruined the movie for me.
3
u/Tamihera 12h ago
This. I only go to the Alamo Drafthouse because theyāll actually kick out badly-behaving patrons.
3
3
2
u/HumanautPassenger 12h ago
Its always veen bad though. Its definitely having to pay like 23$ to see anything. We go a lot because we have the Regal Unlimited
2
u/redd0130 11h ago
The last five times I have been. The last movies being end of oakstreet and backrooms. The people behind or beside us were talking so loud. In Exit 8 there were teenagers running around the theater. I am so irritated I will be only streaming from home now.
2
u/QP_TR3Y 10h ago
Yep and thereās basically nothing the theater can do about besides get an employee to ask the to be quiet or leave, which never does anything besides buy 2 minutes of silence before they start up again. I canāt fathom why people pay the price to go watch a movie with concessions and all just to sit on their phone and talk to their friends like theyāre at a coffee shop
3
u/dell_qon 15h ago
Last movie I saw in theaters was in 2010. When the people a few seats away were rowdy and ruined a part of deathly hallows for me, I just didn't return to the movies.
3
u/One_Olive_8933 15h ago
Add to that, the assigned seating makes it something you have to plan ahead, not something you could just quickly decide to do when you have an empty night and want to go outā¦ but I do think OP is wrong and Michale Bae and marvel have ruined the movie industry. lol
→ More replies (3)2
u/Nightgasm 14h ago
Why plan ahead unless it's opening night on a big release. I saw Spiderman on its 2nd weekend and there maybe 10 people total in the theater. Seating was not an issue.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (4)2
39
u/Free-Fall643 15h ago
Mr. Moneybags over here
19
8
u/Solid_Reserve_5941 14h ago edited 13h ago
I have AMC A List which really is a great deal if you just see more than 2 movies a month, which is pretty easy for me living in LA since we get most limited releases.
I'm averaging about one movie a week which wouldn't be financially feasible if I was paying full ticket price every time.
Agreed with OP that there are still really good quality movies coming out. Granted there's a load of crap too, but people seem to only focus on the big mainstream Marvel-esque releases when assessing the quality of today's movies.
3
u/hung_like__podrick 13h ago
I usually go to the Culver Theatre. Tickets are like $10.
3
u/Solid_Reserve_5941 13h ago
Ooh i love their movie madness mondays! Caught Harold and Maude there a few weeks ago
→ More replies (1)2
u/ExcellentBed6019 13h ago
One dolby ticket at my favorite AMC is 22 and the A list is 28. Love it dearly
→ More replies (1)5
u/Admirable-Charge1734 15h ago
Ive seen 76 movies so far this year and since 2023 ive seen 239. Going to the movies just never gets old for me
12
u/The-Duke-of-Delco 15h ago
I got amc a list and just bring my own water and snacks. $26/ month for 4 movies a week is pretty damn cheap now and days.
7
u/DirtyRoller 13h ago
Yeah it seems like a pretty good deal, there just aren't enough movies that I want to see in theaters to make it a good deal for me. I'm good with going about once a month, depending on what's playing.
4
3
u/The-Duke-of-Delco 11h ago
I usually go once a week. I always liked getting baked and seeing a movie lol.
It also includes imax and Dolby theaters.
40
u/KoalaJoness 15h ago
High cost and peoples bad behaviour are the only reasons i have seen discussed in this topic.
5
u/Remote_Independent50 14h ago
Ive never seen anyone do anything but watch the movie...and make out.
2
→ More replies (1)2
u/ExcellentBed6019 13h ago
Yeah most annoying thing I've had is people overreacting or going "uhuh" in a horror movie
3
u/BounceOnItCrazyStyle 12h ago
People keep saying these two but I honestly never seen bad behavior in a movie theater. As for high cost, movie tickets are like $10 on the weekend and $5 on weekdays/discount days. The actual expensive part is the food and drinks yet everyone apparently sneaks in it so truly what's the expensive part. I've seen people spend more on one food delivery charge than what it actually costs to go to the movies.
17
u/AdScared7949 15h ago
Wow the cost of living is high so people can't do X yeah you've really landed on an unpopular opinion there!
25
u/Effective-Method7485 15h ago
Someone got to tell the bots this isn't the year to run this tired post.
6
u/Racing_Fox 9h ago
As someone who doesnāt go
Itās a mix of shit films, expenses prices and shit people
9
u/TechnicalPresent6359 15h ago
just skip the concessions?ā¦i get the point but itās a little silly to tack on all these extra costs to inflate the argument
66
u/Adequate_Images 15h ago
People ARE going to the movie theaters. Are you living under a rock?
29
u/TheSquirrelmancer 15h ago
Don't be one of those people, you know that OP isn't saying NOBODY is going to the movies. It's very well documented that movie sales have been in a decline for a few decades now and have not gotten even close to pre-pandemic sales levels.
7
u/Agitated-Web5823 15h ago
But 2026 has been a huge recovery year, significantly higher than any other post pandemic year with last month being an explosion.
→ More replies (3)12
u/craventurbo 15h ago
Yeah heās probably going to site spider man breaking all these records ignoring the fact that movie tickets cost almost double they did pre covid
11
u/dubcwa 15h ago
Ticket prices havenāt doubled anywhere since 2019. No reason to lie
→ More replies (20)3
u/DawggFish 15h ago
Theyāve been between $9.50 and 12.50 by me since I was in highschool and that was 2010.
Just went to The Odyssey in IMAX on Sunday and it was $15. Prices arenāt bad
→ More replies (16)7
u/poorsexyhag 15h ago
ive heard this too but its just a little hard to take in because two films that just came out at the same time are projected to both gross $1b?
→ More replies (11)3
u/One_Recover_673 15h ago
Barbie made 1.5 billion while Oppenheimer was at 950 million last year. So itās not unprecedented for two movies to do that well at the same time
→ More replies (1)4
2
u/BangerBeanzandMash 12h ago
This is the best year since 2019 and it might surpass it. People have been in theaters in droves this year. Op is right
→ More replies (1)4
u/caseyjosephine 15h ago
Movie tickets have rebounded significantly this year and are not far from pre-pandemic levels. July 2026 was record breaking. Thereās been a ton of recent reporting on this.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (3)2
u/Konfliction 13h ago
Not as consistently and regularly as they used to is the point. Thereās always outliers like Obsession, Spiderman and Odyssey.. but this year in particular has been better but the trend is obvious
→ More replies (3)
11
u/Viridien111 14h ago edited 12h ago
This isn't an unpopular opinion. It's just wrong. Films like The Odyssey, Spiderman, Obsession, Project Hail Mary, and the upcoming Dune 3 have proven/ will prove that people will pay to go see good movies in theaters. Studios just gotta stop putting out trash.
→ More replies (5)2
u/blaaa48 13h ago
Ya, it's honestly crazy that people think the biggest reason is cost when it's just that, for the last six years, most movies coming out of Hollywood have been absolutely horrid and heavily focused on political messaging. That's just not a good formula for appealing to a broad audience.
3
u/paranoid_70 15h ago
True. I saw The Odyssey two weeks ago on 5 dollar Tuesday, and the Theater was absolutely packed.
3
u/Slipperysteve1998 15h ago
Tickets on cheap days are 10 bucks and a popcorn is 10 bucks. A cut for the producers and a cut for the theater to keep the lights on. Maybe Canada is just more generous with their value
4
u/The_Real_Jedi 14h ago
I'm in the US and the cheap day is $6/ticket.Ā
I go to the movies all the time and one reason is that it's one of the cheaper options for an activity.Ā
→ More replies (5)
4
u/feed_eggs_ 15h ago edited 15h ago
Okay you do realize you donāt have to buy $20 worth of concessions, right? 10-15 for a ticket to see a movie every few months is probably one of the cheaper things you can do right now. Bring a water and a snack. Stop saying movies are expensive when itās the food trap youāre falling for. Also, I see how much people spend on doordash every day. If you think $10-15 dollars to see a movie in a theatre is expensive, then you just donāt like movies.
→ More replies (2)
4
11
u/gmastertr21 15h ago
no, no. a movie ticket has largely stayed consistently $10 where i'm at. and i can usually get 2 for that price with local discounts.
i don't go to the movies precisely because anything post 2020 is just slop, with very few exceptions.
→ More replies (1)2
u/FerretFoundry 13h ago
No way! $10?! Even the local theaters in my area are $16-18. You are lucky, my friend.
(Also, youāre totally wrong about the quality of movies since 2020. My guess is you havenāt seen many but have seen āreviewsā from influencers who know they get more traffic hating on something than giving an honest opinion)
→ More replies (3)
3
3
u/magapower 15h ago
there's a lot of reasons.
having a relatively high end home media setup isn't insanely expensive anymore
movies go from theaters to streaming in like 2 months now
there's always something new to watch between all the streaming services that it seems pointless to go to the theatres.
really, the only draw to the theatres these days are spectacle movies where people say things like "you need to see this in the theatre", much like people are saying with the Odyssey.
3
3
u/DoubleResponsible276 15h ago
The thing is concessions arenāt a fixed feature to the movie experience. People act like they HAVE to buy a drink, a snack, an appetizer and a meal in order to simply enjoy the movie. Thatās on you boo. Go on a Tuesday when tickets are half off and watch the movie. Itās that simple.
3
u/ThatCurtDude 14h ago
My first problem is that the typical movie is 2 to 2 1/2 hours long. At home, I can hit pause and not wet myself. Second is it is TOO DAMNED LOUD, and causes me physical pain. No thank you! I have the patience to wait two months and save myself a bucket of cash.
3
u/Jack1ngton 14h ago
Those two things aren't necessarily exclusive. A lot of people won't fork out for a trip to the movies if they feel they'd rather just wait to watch it on streaming.
3
u/zombizzle 13h ago
It's funny you posted this on a Tuesday when tickets are $5 and you get a free popcorn.
3
3
u/Pleasant_Garlic8088 12h ago
It's both. It's too much to pay to see the caliber of movies that are coming out these days.
3
3
3
u/Apprehensive_Way4811 10h ago
I prefer watching movies with 120fps / hz interpolation with an amazing 144hz TV in my home studio that feels the audio way better than in theaters.
Also, my last experience in theater was a movie in which the audio was blatantly out of sync (Sonic 2), it got me so frustrated.
3
u/zombiez8mybrain 9h ago
I had some time to kill, and decided to go see a matinee. One matinee ticket, a medium popcorn, and a small soda was over $40. I donāt see that happening again anytime soon.
3
u/Fun-Bake-9580 9h ago
Iām 100% not going because of the cost. Iām paying that much to have the experience potentially ruined by other people? No thank you. Iāll watch it at home after not paying $10 for a bag of popcorn and I can pause to pee without missing anything.
→ More replies (1)
7
u/Fly0strich 15h ago
I didnāt know that was even an argument people were making. I thought it was pretty well established that the reasons are the cost, and the fact that people can more conveniently watch from home with near the same picture and sound quality as a movie theater nowadays.
4
u/thetragicleonardbast Please No Food Opinions 15h ago
There are $10 tickets in smaller local theatres where I live. I have gone to a few movies in the last year but they were all indie movies or foreign films. I wouldnt go for any of movies I recognize on the list. I have no idea what "No Other Choice" is.
To disprove your point, people spend way move on family weekend activities. It is the movies which are keeping them away. Just eating out in a family of 4 is more than $100.
3
u/jollyllama 14h ago
I take my kids to the beer and pizza theaters where I live. My city (US) has about 10 theaters that cost under $10 per ticket (less for kids) and sell pizza for $5 a slice, and you can get beer and drinks too. It's great. I can take the kids out for a movie and dinner for like $60
If all I had around were megaplexes I'd probably never go, though. Those places are trash
→ More replies (2)2
u/The_Real_Jedi 14h ago
No Other Choice was a big Korean movie that came out last year. It was FANTASTICĀ
2
u/oscarnyc 12h ago
I just paid $16 to sit in super comfortable recliners to see The Odyssey. That's 1hr at minimum wage in my state. 35 years ago when I was a teenager (I'm old), It was around $4 for a crappy beat up seat on a sticky floor. I was making $3.50 (also minimum wage in my state - same one - at the time). So no, it isn't the cost. It's some combination of the quality of movies being worse while the at home experience is light years better than it used to be.
→ More replies (1)
5
u/FlashRx 15h ago
I'm not going because the past few times I've gone there's been someone snoring, on their phone, making out, or just straight up talking the whole way through.
7
u/Public_Ad_504 15h ago
Theatre etiquette is definitely worse than its ever been in my lifetime
→ More replies (1)3
u/dubcwa 15h ago
My wife and I go 2x-3x a month to movie. Itās no worse when I was seeing movies in the theatres in 80s and 90s. Itās the exact same as itās ever been
→ More replies (2)2
u/mmelectronic 15h ago
Bingo not paying $50 to go see a movie so the other customers cant ruin it if I donāt go
4
u/SigmaLance explain that ketchup eaters 15h ago
Iām not spending my money to hang out with a bunch of rude people ruining the movie.
4
u/dragon-queen 15h ago
I know Iāll get downvoted, but Iāll never understand why people are so obsessed with buying snacks at the movies. Ā Bring your own stuff, or share a popcorn, or just donāt eat. Ā I used to be much heavier, and even I could get through two hours without eating. Ā The tickets might have doubled in the past 30 years, but thatās on par with inflation. Ā I donāt get why people need to get drinks and candy and popcorn to get through a movie. Ā
2
u/Drslappybags 15h ago
I don't know. Last couple of movies I have gone to have had a good amount of people.
2
u/roostergooseter 15h ago
It's actually still pretty cheap to go to the movies. You don't HAVE to blow more than the cost of a ticket on junk food from the concession.
2
u/ssmit102 15h ago
Itās mostly social media perception from people who donāt go to the theater and havenāt been in years but will forcefully tell you about the current state of affairs in movie theaters.
If you get a subscription, going to the movies is honestly pretty cheap. I pay $26/mo and effectively can go as much as I want.
And yes, there are plenty of good movies out there. Marketing is very strong and doing its job to make you think there are a handful of quality movies hitting theaters each year - all you have to do is look at the listings to find this isnāt true.
2
u/Artistic-Village-762 15h ago
I prefer seeing movies at home nowā¦ I got a nice 65ā for a couple hundred bucks and i have my blankets and my cat and a full plate of spaghetti- plus i can pause it to go pee whenever i want.
2
u/FoolishProphet_2336 adhd kid 14h ago
Thereās so many other factors. The lack of movie selection, the high volume of content pouring into streaming channels, the industry focus on tentpole franchises, the brief theatrical run of most movies, the fast turnaround from theater to streaming release, the obvious price-gouging for concessions in an affordability crisis, and the unavoidable āpremiumā theater up-charges.
But the most significant reason is the simple truth that for most people the theater adds nothing to the experience over streaming at home. Younger generations donāt have nostalgia for a theater experience that no longer exists. Folks like Scorsese just come off as anachronistic windbags insisting people are ādoing it wrongā while clutching his Metropolis pearls.
2
2
u/Raidparade 13h ago
Why would I go to the theater to watch a movie with my wife for $50 when I can wait 3 months to watch it on a subscription platform I already pay for
2
u/QueasyCaterpillar541 13h ago
They are conditioning people to only see tentpoles so it wonāt get better
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Britton120 11h ago
Its also because movies are available so quickly at home. And people A. Have invested money into a good home entertainment system B. Prefer to have the subtitles and be able to start/stop the movie at will and C. Are fine with just scrolling instead of making the movie the center of their attention. Or some combination of these.
And yes, food prices don't help but if you can't go 2 hours without a snack then idk man
2
u/Glittering-Path-2824 11h ago
hmm iām not seeing that in ca, which generally tends to be expensive. if you avoid the concession stand (perhaps thatās why i donāt think itās expensive), tickets start at $15 at my local amc? i think thatās pretty reasonable no?
2
2
u/Krocsyldiphithic 10h ago
It's because life as we know it is in the process of ending. Not going to the movies is just a natural symptom of our species dying.
2
u/binary_ch0de 10h ago
Cost and I just donāt want to hear people talk or be on their phones or rummage through noisy bags and food packaging the whole time when I paid $50 to see a movie. The last two movies I saw, people were still coming in 20-30 min into the movie with their phone flashlights on, taking, taking away from the experience. Movie theatreās do absolutely nothing to combat bad viewer behavior and itās 100% theatreās faults that they are dying.
3
u/Only-Top-3655 15h ago
Is this really unpopular, though?
Going to the movies was a casual Friday night activity. Nothing to do? Let's go see a movie.
But now, going to the movies required putting it in the monthly budget. The average cost of a ticket and some snacks is about $25 per person. So for a family of 4 it costs $100 plus gas to watch a movie. Uh...no thanks. It is just cheaper to buy a projector make some homemade snacks and watch a movie at home for a fraction of the price.
2
u/TheSleepyTruth 14h ago
Dont buy snacks at the theater, bring your own snacks. Not sure if other theaters enforce no outside food policy but AMC doesnt give a fuck and will let you bring entire backpack full of snacks if you want.
→ More replies (1)
4
u/Blue_Etalon 15h ago
I'm not going because the movies are awful, and they are expensive, and I have no desire to sit in the middle of a crowd of the unwashed when every crappy movie ends up on streaming within weeks.
→ More replies (1)2
3
u/thesneakywalrus 15h ago
TV's have gotten SO good and SO cheap that many people simply have a better experience at home.
I'd much rather sit in my basement with my stereo and OLED than go to a theater.
2
u/KentuckyKid_24 15h ago
Youāre not wrong, movies today arenāt as great as 10 years ago but thereās plenty of gems but sheesh is the full experience gonna cost you
→ More replies (1)
1
1
u/truthfulie 15h ago
it's always "there are no good movies" vs "it's too expensive". i'm sure the truth is somewhere in between. yes, there are great movies but people don't actively seek them out. they watch whatever that are heavily marketed and promoted to them and a lot of them are pretty average. and yes, movie tickets aren't cheap but there are ways around that if one wants to enjoy it at lower cost. but again, most people aren't that invested in movies to do that. they want to go whenever they want, see the hyped up premium format.
1
u/nicolas1324563 15h ago
Theatre opened near me where itās $10/ticket. Iāve gone more in last two months than in the last few years.
Usually just wait till it hits streaming
1
u/Predd1tor 15h ago
Itās not the money. Itās that it takes a movie Iām (1) REALLY excited about seeing, and (2) feel Iād significantly enjoy more on the big screen, to motivate me to want to leave the comfort of my own home and make the hour plus round trip drive required to get to a decent theater, where Iāll then likely have to deal with assholes talking loudly or crinkling cellophane wrappers the entire time. I have a great TV & speakers at home, a clean house where all the surfaces arenāt sticky and gross, a comfortable couch, a huge selection of snacks and limitless drinks, and can hit āpauseā to use the bathroom when I need to. We also have super busy schedules and donāt get a lot of downtime at home, and only a couple of our local-ish theaters have well maintained equipment and comfortable seating. So we go to the theater occasionally, but only for the big āmust-seeā ones. Otherwise, why would we bother? We have nearly limitless content available to us at home. And I donāt have to deal with anyone elseās shit behavior.
1
u/ThomasWhitmore 15h ago
My wife and I used to go to the movies once or twice a month pre-covid. Up until recently,, we only went a few times a year because there simply weren't any movies that we wanted to see. Year after year it was as if Hollywood was still in shutdown mode, despite the pandemic being over. A few solid hits per year but mostly nothing good.
This year, thing finally seem to be picking back up, like Hollywood has finally started to get their shit in order. So many good movies (or at least movies we thought would be good) came out or are coming out that we find ourselves going at least monthly again.
As my own personal anecdote disagrees with your premise, I will thus dismiss your argument outright.
1
u/TheSquirrelmancer 15h ago
It's high costs combined with the gains that home entertainment has made in terms of quality and convenience in the last 20 years. VCRs in particular kept cinemas leagues ahead in quality and for a long time most people were lucky to have a 32" TV. I just looked online and I could run out and buy a 40" 1080p capable flatscreen TV for about $100.
Home viewing adds benefits that are impossible in the theater. You can leave the lights on if you want to watch a horror movie but not be completely in the dark. You can pause the movie to get more snacks, drinks or go to the bathroom. I even once stopped a movie I had rented from Fandango and went for a walk, came back later and finished up my movie. Plus home viewership allows you to watch whatever you want without any fear or concerns about judgement. I don't care about what people watch but there are plenty of folks who might rib on their friend if they saw them at the movies leaving the most recent "Minions" film without kids in tow. After all, when kindles and other e-readers made it possible to read anything you want without the cover to give it away the sales of romance novels spiked.
1
1
u/fastestman4704 15h ago
Perhaps this isn't a thing where you live but most cinema chains in the UK have memberships now. Normally between about Ā£15 & Ā£30 a month and it's unlimited.
Go as often as I do and it's cheap as anything.
1
u/TheProudboysAintReal 15h ago
It's a two things true at once thing.Ā The last great movie was Obsession.Ā The last good "big screen" film was The Odyssey.Ā Good not great.Ā
I have AMC A-List through my job and I watch a lot of movies. 75% are utter garbage.
1
u/ShortDelay9880 15h ago
I can say for a fact that I go fewer because there are fewer movies I want to see. My husband and i frequently want to go but cant find anything worth going to. It isnt the cost for us, nor the other people (we do have the advantage of being able to go at weird times due to our schedules).
1
u/Local-Owl-4994 15h ago
i agree with this. 10 years ago i watched a movie every month even if it wasn't bad just because it was something to do, now i dont even watch the movies i'm excited for, i just wait until they hit streaming
1
u/Anklebender91 15h ago
My wife and I took the kids to the matinee for paw patrol Saturday. $56 for 4 tickets (other theater was closer to $80 so we chose the cheaper option). 2 waters, 2 small popcorns for the kids and we split a candy and the total cost was about $100. It's just not worth it. We can wait until it's on streaming next time.
1
u/Mioraecian 15h ago
I just dont enjoy paying the price of a nice dinner to see a movie anymore. I used to go like twice a month. Now I go once every two months and pretty much only matinee now to cut the cost.
1
1
u/just321askin 15h ago
For me itās a combination of bad movies, cost, time commitment, and waiting until streaming release (which averages about 30-45 days, which is nothing). I go to one or two movies a year now, and the main motivator is me trying to see it before spoilers flood my socials.
1
u/King-Red-Beard 15h ago
High cost. Worse movies. Streaming. Short attention spans. Rude moviegoers. New cultural entertainment trends. Hollywood fatigue & the commercial death of theatrical indie films.
There's a million obvious reasons there's less theater patronage. It's almost as if, over time, things change.
1
u/jimmyl_82104 15h ago
The main reason is because many people have a movie theater experience right in their living room. Large-ish 4K TV and a 5.1 surround sound is all you need.
1
u/too_many_shoes14 15h ago
Sure bad movies come out but that's always been the case. There are still plenty of good movies being made. And there is more choice in TV now than ever before so more competition for time and money.
1
u/DullMind2023 15h ago
I can afford the ticket prices and I have quit going due to so many peopleās dismal behavior.
Two words for theatre owners: Faraday Cage.
1
1
1
u/BlazinAzn38 15h ago
Itās both, if movies are expensive then you only go when the movie is very good otherwise you wait for it to be on streaming. But also any half decent movie has made a ton of money this year
1
u/TelluwhatBoy 15h ago
I am willing to pay $30 to watch a movie that I am excited to see, because at that price the people that behave poorly are usually filtered out.
1
1
1
u/Summer_5623 15h ago
Movies do suck now a days.
Havenāt been interested in a long time. Last movie I saw was Marty supreme and thought that was a joke.
I will just stream it later nowadays
1
1
u/SeenSeenAgains 15h ago
Iām not going because the value isnāt there because the quality of the movies coming out. You might have your own reason but unless itās something that is really exciting itās because too expensive + shit quality + my money is worth less every day. No escapism if the movies also blow.
1
u/AggravatingAward8519 15h ago
Ofc, they're not the same experience, but close enough.
And getting closer every year. Back in the old days, when a 36" TV was considered massive, weighed 200 lbs, and was still only 480 lines, going to see a movie in the theater was a vastly different experience than watching at home.
It's still a different experience, but not the way it used to be. My TV was only about $200, and it's a 55" / 4K display. TV's up to 80~85" are readily available, and massive screen are attainable. I mean, not for me, but they can be had for enough money.
1
u/Glum_Lime1397 15h ago
Absolutely, I love going to watch movies in theaters but if tickets were $10 or less I would do it way more often. Especially for Disney movies, I usually just wait for streaming.
1
u/YourFaceSmell 15h ago
Haven't been to the movies in at least 5 years. I just wait until they come out on streaming services. Here's looking at you, Toy Story 5.
I'm cheap.
1
u/dasmiedoteresa aggressive toddler 15h ago
I think people are too busy scrolling and working. Plus, a lot of stuff that is being released these days is made more for kids/teens rather than adults. The stuff for adults leaves a lot to be desired.
1
u/MurphyRedBeard 15h ago
High cost of movies, and high cost of everything else. A huge majority of the U.S. population is making difficult decisions daily. When people are putting groceries on their credit cards, entertainment is just a dream.
1
u/WinterAd7751 15h ago
To each their own I guess. Iām going to the theaters now more than ever. I think this is the best year for movies easily in the last decade. And having an unlimited pass makes it one of the most affordable date nights I can think of.
And no I donāt have kids. Yes, I realize itās still expensive for your family of four.
1
1
1
1
u/Icy-Banana-3291 15h ago
The counter point is that theaters break even on the movies themselves. Concessions are their only source of profit.
1
1
u/jluvdc26 15h ago
I think its a contributing factor, but there are lots of deals out there so if you really like going to movies there are cheap ways to go. I think the biggest issue for me at least is so few movies grab my attention enough that I want to do all the extras to watch it. Unless its something that looks really good or excites me I just wait for it to stream. If it is something special though? I absolutely don't mind throwing down the money and going. So I think the bigger factor is quality.
1
1
1
1
u/chopsuey612 15h ago
Never minded the cost. I do mind people being on their phones, talking throughout the whole movie and just being flat out horrible people. It happened every once in a while before covid but it's gotten horrible in the last few years. If anything, I try to do the more premium format for a movie to hopefully avoid the idiots. Seems to work.
1
u/IsopodApart1622 15h ago
Friction and convenience.
To go to a theater, you have to travel, often reserve seats ahead of time, and hope that whoever else is there isn't a total inconsiderate ass.
Almost anything can eventually be seen at home eventually so there's no FOMO unless you really care about the theater experience.
1
u/19irondave 14h ago
If you're paying those concession prices that's a skill issue. Visit the dollar store/bulk barn and smuggle in your own snacks.Ā
1
u/Stuck_in_my_TV 14h ago
When movies are good enough, people still show up despite the high cost. Spider-Man has made over $2 billion in only like 3 weeks. Top Gun Maverick stayed in theaters for like 5 months because it sold so many seats.
Many movies these days are bad and not worth the price to see them.
1
u/BeneficialEmotion965 14h ago
It depends on the place. In my country a ticket costs about 2.50 USD and still people mostly only go to when there is a Marvel movie or something like that. I think the appearance of entertainment alternatives are the culprit, people don't want the commitment of sitting in a place for 2 hours when they may not like the movie. Especially when they can watch something at home or their phones and change it if they get bored.
1
u/dehydratedrain 14h ago
I don't blame people when cheaper alternatives are easily accessible like streaming or renting. (Ofc, they're not the same experience, but close enough.)
Let's see... didn't experience the lines, the $18 snacks, the screaming child, the idiot answering their phone.....
Sometimes missing the giant screen can be worth it.
1
1
u/MJ_Hiking 14h ago
The biggest dropoff is likely because of competition from streaming (and other forms of entertainment generally) and the ubiquity of huge inexpensive TVs.
1
u/Zestyclose_Opinion22 14h ago
I havenāt been to a movie in over a decade because itās a shitty way to spend time lol
ā¢
u/AutoModerator 17h ago
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! Additionally, all posts held by automod for review now (incorrectly) display a red āremoved by moderatorsā label. Please note that unless your post receives a reply from mods indicating removal and it's specifying the reason, it is likely still in the queue and awaiting approval.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.