When presented with the choice of watching a movie at home or at a movie theater, the better option is to watch in a theater, like American Multi-Cinema (AMC), where there’s chilly air, a larger screen, better sound quality and at least one option for everyone.
According to cabletv.com, AMC’s average ticket price is $13, and according to AMC’s website, popcorn costs another $9-10. While Netflix’s cheapest tier is $7.99, where people still have to go out and buy or order food themselves, and on top of that, they get ads with their content. Assuming people don’t immediately end their subscription upon subscribing, a ticket tends to be cheaper, as it’s common that people leave the subscription running even while they’re not watching content anymore, which drains more money than a “pay-as-you-go” style movie ticket.
In recent years, Netflix has been criticized for “quantity over quality,” where it will release hundreds of new titles in just a year. Many of these movies are easily forgettable or released solely to ensure there are new things to watch.
What streaming services put out are designed to keep people watching quick, low-stakes movies and shows, according to tvrev.com. The goal is to be “content,” not standalone pieces of art. Whereas theaters make the viewer more immersed as they take place in dark rooms with big screens designed for long watches.
Netflix is also notorious for canceling shows after just the first couple of seasons, despite the audience size, according to tomsguide.com. Disney+ is also at fault for doing this, as they cut the show “The Owl House” by Dana Terrace.
Disney’s choice to cut “The Owl House” from the planned three to six seasons down to two seasons plus three special episodes was greatly met with backlash from Disney+ viewers, even ones who weren’t necessarily fans of the series.
According to herlifestylepursuit.com, when people watch movies alone through streaming services, they’re free from the pressure that being in public puts on them. People are able to cry or laugh freely. This may lead to a greater connection between the person and the film.
While people watching with others in theaters creates a more focused experience on the movie than at home, which does lead to theaters being worse for first dates, where you’d want to be learning about the person, as it’s considered rude to talk during a movie in a theater because it distracts from the movie. The atmosphere of a theater can enhance the emotions extracted from the movie, while at home, the tendency to chat or check phones could detract from those moments, making it less memorable than a focused theater experience. This leads to theaters having more influence and memorability, even if there wasn’t as much interaction going on.
Overall, when comparing movie theaters to streaming services, the choice boils down to two things: focus or convenience, respectively. Streaming services are easier and more comfortable as they’re in the person’s own home, but movie theaters are made for immersion. Theaters offer relevant selections without the lower-quality content that is put out by streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ or their management, which is pro-business but anti-consumer. Theaters provide higher quality that stands against streaming services canceling shows with large fanbases and against cheap, forgettable content. These points show movie theaters as the superior choice for movie watching.
