How Inflation, Streaming, and Amenities Have Changed the Scene

Picture this: it’s 2010 and you’ve just realized that a new blockbuster is dropping at 12:01 AM. You’ve managed to secure tickets when you think to yourself, We’ve got to get there early if we want good seats. You arrive at the theater, after they’ve begun allowing people in, but not before all of the good seats are occupied. By the time the opening credits roll, the place is packed. You have a seat, flanked closely by two shoulders. It’s a bit noisy, but thankfully the crowd gets drowned out once the film gets going. What you’re ultimately left with is a communal experience that serves as the motivation that made the trip worthwhile.

Fast forward a few years, when reserved seating becomes mainstream. You no longer have to worry about getting there thirty minutes early. You still have the shared experience, but the seating process is smoother—well, for the most part anyway. You could still find yourself sitting on the outermost seat when a group near you has taken another group’s seats. You can also end up with a stranger forced to sit on the stairs next to you while everything gets worked out.

Anyway, now it’s 2024. Streaming is as popular as ever (partially thanks to the pandemic) and inflation continues to run rampant. Movies now become available for home viewing in a month or two, rather than the better part of a year, meaning you don’t have to wait as long to watch. So now, the thought process is different. Perhaps you value the “epic” sights and sounds of an IMAX offering, but what used to cost $30 to $40 for two adults is now upwards of $50. Do you really feel the need to see this one in the cinema?

Meanwhile, another kind of moviegoing experience has been evolving. You still have the reserved seating, but now you can have food delivered to you. In some establishments, you can press a button to call an employee, so you don’t even have to exit and miss the movie to order something. The reclining seats are large and spread out such that you have somewhat greater privacy—in exchange for less overall occupancy. Now you have employees walking in and out to deliver food. All of the squeakiness and whispering can take a toll on your enjoyment because we have taken the home theater setup and adapted it for the public. 

So, in an effort to provide people with greater comfort and convenience as a “reward” for rising ticket prices, you (potentially) lose out on some of the appeal of attending a movie. Whether or not this truly is a downside to you depends on your preferences

The wondrous experience at the amusement park is a sort of analogy. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who says they actively enjoy waiting in line for as long as two hours (yes, signs actually exist to indicate this). That being said, the reverse scenario—walking through something of a ghost town—might not be too appealing either. Being surrounded by others is part of the draw. Of course, it’s not like amusement park companies are interested in reducing total occupancy to a much smaller number (pandemic or not), so that experience is largely intact.

It’s interesting to consider how a conventional activity like attending a movie has changed over time. In the end, you’re still able to opt for a showing without the extras to get the traditional theater experience if you want. It’s likely theater companies will continue experimenting as they have before (e.g., 4D theaters). Moreover, ticket price inflation isn’t unique—streaming services have had their monthly subscription costs raised, too. Going forward, the people you’re surrounded by might be more like-minded than you’d expect. Guests and film buffs truly passionate about the big screen will surely keep theaters thriving. After all, the pandemic probably did more damage to the appetite for a traditional movie experience than inflation and streaming could ever do on their own.