// As Stellan Skarsgård said so eloquently during his acceptance speech last week at the Golden Globes, “cinema should be seen in cinemas.”

An open frame dialogue

I think we all know about the crisis movie theaters have been in for quite some time now, one that seemingly took a final blow during the pandemic. Beyond the obvious financial repercussions, rising prices, the convenience of streaming, and the decline in mainstream movie quality, something else is being lost: a unique communal setting. As a weekly movie theater goer, I want to expound on the intimate communal experience of watching a film in a movie theater. And while solo theater moments have their own kind of magic, I’ll be focusing here on the presence of other people experiencing the film alongside you.

Depending on the theater, traffic timing, and the current selection of movies, sometimes the party starts as soon as you pull into the parking lot. A Friday night, an unusual amount of cars at your local theater, – the first signal that you’re in for a ride. Once tickets are scanned, onto the concession stand as anticipation begins to build. The energy is buzzing all around: people talking about predictions, early reviews, recounting their day and the events that ultimately led them to this moment. And the aroma of movie theater butter popcorn is so intoxicating, it’s simply no ordinary popcorn. You can’t get this anywhere else but here, at the movie theater.

Okay, it’s time. You walk to the theater and your designated seat and settle in, timed perfectly so there are only a few trailers left before the film begins. Suddenly you’re reminded of the technical feat of theaters. This is not a TV. Not even my projector (which I wholeheartedly adore) can compare. A standard laser theater screen is an experience in itself, but a Dolby or IMAX screening, and 70mm for a film made for it, is always chef’s kiss. The booming surround sound, the vibration in your seat, the magnitude of the screen, the visuals and formatting, the dim lighting, it’s all worth taking in. You can feel the buzz in the theater during the trailers. It’s practically tangible, with early reactions to trailers ripple through the room as anticipation builds and peaks.

We are here. We are all here for this movie. Excited to experience it with whomever we came with, and by extension, everyone else in this theater. An experience and memory to recall and retell.

The movie begins, and sometimes people clap or cheer as the opening credits roll. That usually signals a lively crowd, which often makes for a high-energy experience. As the film goes on, you and the people around you react honestly and emotionally, together. There’s so much to be said about the significance of collective emotional experiences, especially when it comes to a shared love for, or awe of, human creation and expression. I feel this at concerts and sporting events too. But one major difference between watching a film in a theater versus at home is the inability to pause. This reinforces the importance of consuming a film in one sitting (when possible), and the experience that comes with that. That lack of control adds another layer to the communal experience, an almost brace-for-impact feeling during certain scenes. It makes the experience even more intimate. As the AMC legend Nicole Kidman graciously reminds us before every film (I can’t believe they’re phasing her out – is there a petition?), it’s an indescribable feeling to laugh, to cry, to care together. “Somehow heartbreak feels good in a place like this”

When the end credits roll and the lights slowly brighten and our eyes adjust, we all walk out, sometimes lighter, sometimes more energized, overhearing comments about the movie and first reactions. Those conversations spill into the bathroom, the lobby, and eventually back into our respective lives. Back to reality. Hopefully, feeling transformed or touched.

Theater experiences will forever be special. The bubbling excitement never gets old and is always worth looking forward to. And the collective feeling of creating culture in real time, contributing to the zeitgeist and being part of it. Communal experiences like these give art another layer, another dimension and another form of cultural perseverance.

Epilogue

Last month, I took my mom to see Wicked: For Good (more like Wicked: For Profit – Nikki Glaser, that was toooo good). The best part of the experience came afterward, when I went to the bathroom and overheard a mother and daughter talking. It was the daughter’s first time ever going to a movie theater, her very first movie experience. She sounded about five or six, giddy with excitement. The mother complimented her on doing such a great job waiting to use the bathroom until after the movie ended. It was one of the sweetest interactions I’ve overheard, something I felt grateful to witness and even be a small part of. Magical in its own way.

“We come to this place for magic.”

—Nicole Kidman, AMC