By Michael Yu, Feb. 7, 2023
I will never forget seeing Christopher Nolan’s 2014 epic “Interstellar” in the theaters. I was 13 years old at the time, and the awe-inspiring visuals of the film still burn brightly in my mind. This moment gave me a deep love for the theater experience, and it saddens me that others disregard it completely.
Whenever I go to the theater, it is always a memorable experience. Once the commercials finish and the lights go off, I know that I am in for something special. From character-driven indie films like “The Whale” to blockbuster action films like “Avengers: Endgame,” being at the cinema elevates every genre.
At a theater, the film has exceptional image and sound, just as the director intended. Going to the cinema is also a communal experience, sharing the emotions of the film with others in the audience and creating special moments that are lost through other viewing mediums.
The magic of seeing a film on the big screen has been replaced with the limited small screen. According to a 2022 survey, 41% of adults rarely go see a movie in the theater, 18% never do and only 8% go often.
The largest component of this shift is the rise of streaming services such as Disney+ and HBO Max. These services offer viewers the ability to watch their favorite shows or films in the comfort of their own home, but only after paying a constantly increasing fee. Being able to view films on the go is a massive convenience, but convenience is not synonymous with quality.
This shift to streaming has damaged the livelihood of theaters. In 2022, both Cineworld, the owners of Regal Cinemas, and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema filed for bankruptcy. Additionally, the historic Landmark theater in LA closed its doors in 2022 due to declining audiences. These are places that granted many people special memories, and to see them sink was a grim demonstration of the shift that was occurring in the industry.
These developments were troubling for me, as I did not want to lose access to an experience that means so much to me. I wondered about the future of my local theater and whether they would be able to withstand the onslaught of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of streaming.
Streaming services do have quality content, but how much is that content being degraded due to the platform? I have been thoroughly enjoying HBO’s “The Last of Us” series, but after every episode, I wonder how much better the experience would have been if its exceptional cinematography and storytelling was not constrained to my phone or laptop.
Viewing a film on the small screen offers a limited image, and the finer details the director worked hard to include may be lost through the translation to streaming. In a theater, the screen fills the room and immerses audiences in the stories being told. The beauty of cinema relies on the sanctity of the image, and that is entirely lost when watching on a device instead of a theater screen.
In addition, theaters offer a substantially better auditory experience when compared to a device. Devices often have a limited set of speakers, while theaters use speakers around the room, enveloping the audience.
Audio in a theater is vital to getting the full experience from the film. Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” incorporates numerous thematic and energetic jazz tracks that are essential to the film, and yet such a vital aspect felt so much less impactful when I rewatched it digitally.
Sitting in a theater, there are less distractions. There are no phones, the audience is quiet and everyone can experience the same film together. When I went to see Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” the whole audience was reduced to tears, as everyone shared and felt the film’s intense emotions.
This is something that is also lost when only using streaming services. Discussions for streaming content are reduced to online forums or water cooler talks, as there is no meaningful absorption of a film’s themes or meaning after watching through a phone screen with distractions all around.
Movie theaters are an institution that must never die off. A film’s visual and audio quality are a vital part of the filmmaking medium, and can either make or break the experience. I urge everyone to support local theaters by seeing more films there, so people will learn to appreciate the majesty of cinema even more.
Feature image by Jackson Gray