Screens At Home, Seats Left Empty

What was once a cornerstone of American culture, the movie theater is no longer the weekend escape it once was. People who once flocked to their local Regal Cinema, now must weigh inflating ticket prices, crowded showtimes, rude patrons, parking, and pricey snacks as opposed to the more convenient option, streaming services.

A few weeks ago, my mother, my two sisters and I went to see Wicked: For Good on the weekend of its release and paid a whopping $50 for 4 tickets. Growing up, Broadway was a big part of our lives, especially Wicked, as it is for so many people. Granted, we didn’t go to see the movie on the day of its release, but the number of empty seats in the theater was beyond shocking. For a film with such an astronomical budget and such immense global marketing outreach, I was sure to see more faces in the seats. When I expressed my shock in the usual post-movie walk back to the car, my sister simply said, “I’m sure it’ll be on Prime video in a month anyway.”

Many patrons are understandably choosing to wait this extra month, to save the extra buck to watch new movies. It appears the thrill of sitting in a recliner with a 70-foot IMAX screen and a bucket of popcorn just doesn’t do it for people anymore.  But what does this mean for cinema?

For most people, the argument doesn’t live to see past this. The plethora of streaming platforms is the superior option nowadays, and even those who have a particular interest in film might agree. Victor Perreria-Liete, a third year Loyola film and digital media major put it like this; “It depends on the movie, but most of the time, theaters just aren’t worth it.” Most people link this preference to streaming services to the impact of the covid 19 pandemic in 2020. As we know, the impact of covid affected not only the people staying indoors, but the businesses outside. As these establishments were left to collect dust, folks found ways to make do without them, or to simply just replace them for the time being.

Streaming platforms were the answer to our call. With countless services offering endless, ad-free movies and shows, the pull was hard to resist. “Binge-watching” became a coping mechanism, a source of comfort during isolation. Series like Tiger King, The Office, and Queen’s Gambit saw massive spikes in viewership, and apps like TikTok surged as people flocked online to discuss what they were watching. At a time when everyone was physically disconnected, the internet became the place where we stayed connected.  

As the pandemic pushed everyone indoors, companies quickly capitalized on the fact that people were desperate for at-home entertainment. Netflix and Hulu, already established players, saw huge gains—Netflix’s profits more than doubled in early 2020, with revenue up 28%. Other media giants jumped in too: HBO Max launched in May 2020, and Peacock followed in July. Whatever their motives—profit or simply keeping up—new and existing platforms found immediate success as streaming became the new norm.

So now not only is there a seemingly endless stream of options on one platform, but now on a multitude of platforms. In the case that there was a specific show or movie you did want to watch, but it wasn’t on Netflix, you could watch it on Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu, or Apple TV, or any of the other estimated 200 global services.

So, there you have it, literally. Almost every movie you could possibly want to watch is on some streaming platform, somewhere. So, buy them all; pay the $70 that the average household pays per month to watch any show you’d like, at any time, anywhere. Because when you add it up, waiting a few extra weeks to see Wicked: For Good on Amazon Prime Video, seems worth it.

This isn’t to say that people never go to the movies—just that they rarely do unless there’s a major reason. Loyola Junior Lauren Moyle says she only goes “maybe twice a year,” usually for big blockbusters. Recent exceptions, like the 2023 “Barbenheimer” craze or the Minecraft movie’s rowdy fan reactions, showed how social media can drive people back to the theaters for the shared experience. But those same moments can backfire. Sold-out shows, packed parking lots, and disruptive crowds often push people right back to the comfort of watching at home.  

So, the question still stands. Why would you go to the theater?

Well, Sean Baker—American director and four-time Oscar award winner—argues that you should go to the movies. While a filmmaker’s job is to create content that people love enough to stream at home, voices like Baker’s serve as a reminder for what the movie theater experience offers that a living room cannot. In his 2025 Oscars acceptance speech for Best Director, he beautifully undermines the idea that the pandemic simply proved that streaming is superior. He explains how watching films in a dark theater with strangers fosters shared emotions of laughter, tears, and silence; something that streaming can’t replicate. In an increasingly divided world, that communal emotional experience feels more essential than ever.

These shared emotions in theaters also create a strong social discourse outside of the theater, long after the credits roll. Going to the movies becomes an event, the ritual with friends or family turns the moment of watching a movie into a memorable occasion. It’s one of the very few distraction-free environments left. Where you are fully engaged with the narratives and themes of the film, which are often carried out into conversation outside of the theater. The inevitable “So, what did you think?”, after seeing a movie with your best friend, or your sister you haven’t seen in a while, or someone you’re just getting to know—sparks discussions not only about the film, but about yourselves. It is truly a fully immersive experience, one that simply cannot be replicated at home.

When you finish a movie in the comfort and solidarity of your living room, you can turn it off and go to bed, or you could pause it and go about your day. There’s often no real connection to the art you just watched. At the very least, the effort to go to see the movie in theaters, and having the full embodied experience of it all, pays back a fraction of what it cost those who made it. And not in a money way, but in the sense that they put months, years, sometimes decades of creative juices, time, and energy into this singular project. The pandemic drove us apart from each other, watching entertainment in solitude filled in the gaps momentarily. Baker argues that getting back to the theater with our popcorn and way-too-large sodas was the real cure for worldwide social loneliness. 

But so, what? Unless you’re a real film bro with a very meticulous Letterboxd, it’s not likely that he majority of people will drop the streaming services and opt to see movies in theaters, or at the very least pay for a Regal Unlimited Subscription. Maybe you don’t have a Regal near you, or a car to get to the movie theater, or even a movie theater. There will always be the argument against the experience of movie going that is simply, convenience. It is an indisputable force in today’s world. Everything is made to your convenience, and movie theaters just aren’t convenient anymore. So, while theaters provide a rare, communal experience rich with emotion, people will still reach for the remote.