Movie Theaters: The End?

Recently, Warner Brothers have announced that they will be putting all of their future releases from 2021 and beyond on the streaming service: HBO MAX. This change was employed because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which is sweeping the nation as of the writing of this article. There are those in the film industry who do not approve of this change though such as directors Dennis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan who had expressed frustration that putting films on a streaming platform will change the experience of the films they had intended compared to if they were shown in theaters.

  Movie theaters have been a staple of films in general since the silent era of cinema and the experience of going to the cinema is something that has produced some very fond memories. However, there are several cons to this to which online streaming has eliminated such as overpriced food and drink, potential distractions, pointless and annoying trailers for film and television ads, and getting conned out of your money if you saw a bad movie for example. Conversely, digital streaming allows for homemade or store-bought food in your own house, no distractions, and if you happen to see a film you don’t like, you don’t have to face any financial repercussions for your actions. 

However, some films are not the same watching at home on your TV compared to watching at the cinema. Compared to tablets, phones, or TV’s, cinemas have different sound and aspect ratios that can impact the viewing experience. For example, I had the pleasure of watching Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk in the cinema in the summer of 2017 and it was an incredible experience due to the sound and aspect ratio technology in the theater that I saw it in. 

While it is true that cinemas are facing steep competition from online streaming. Does that exactly mean that Cinemas are going to be practically extinct? I believe not because there is still an audience for the cinema either due to nostalgia or the quality of the film being shown. I believe that it will go the route of arcades where it will become more of a novelty than anything.