Recently, my friend and I decided to go to Edwards Cinema to watch One of Them Days. Before going to the theater, my friend and I stopped by an acai bowl place and Barnes and Noble, all the while talking about how excited we were to watch One of Them Days on the big screen.
It had been quite some time since my last movie theater visit. All of my memories of the movie theater prior to this outing were of packed-full seats, buttery popcorn-flavored air, eruptions of laughter right after the punchlines, and collective gasp after the plot twists. Advertisements were easier to get through because of the buzzing chatter between people all around.
When I was a child, the slow dimming of the lights as the movie started gave me the same feeling of anticipation as right before the takeoff of a plane; the slow brightening of the lights after the movie ended paralleled my thoughts, ideas, and theories about the movie forming in my head.
However, after my last experience at the theater, my beloved memories were replaced by the painfully obvious lack of the scent of buttered popcorn, images of deserted seats, and worst of all, a cold atmosphere.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, streaming services climbed in popularity due to their flexibility and watch-at-home compatibility. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global streaming market was valued at $297.4 billion in 2020, while the value of the global box office industry amounted to merely $11.9 billion , according to Statistica. And though it may be obvious that this value declined during Covid-19, the value of the box office industry remained low in the following years after the pandemic.
What saddens me the most is that nowadays when I walk into theaters, I know that I won’t be able to laugh at punchlines or gasp at plot twists with a crowd of strangers.
But, I still have hope that the movie theater culture is revivable. This is mainly because of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon that took place in the summer of 2023. Because the Barbie movie and Oppenheimer aired in theaters at the exact same time, people dressed in pink for the Barbie movie and then changed into black clothing right after for Oppenheimer. These kinds of experiences are best enjoyed in the company of many others who also enjoy both the films and the trends.
When I saw pictures, posts, and videos of people having a good time at theaters, it brought me back to my happiest memories of the theaters. Seeing people take pictures in the life-size Barbie box or with their friends, and even strangers, in their Barbenheimer outfits, I see an opportunity for the big-screen culture to make its comeback.
Even though the theater was close to empty and the atmosphere was cold during One of Them Days, the outing with my friend before the showing time and the debrief we had in the car after watching revived my dying hope for the revival of the movies.
There’s a reason why the theaters are one of the most classic places for dates and hangouts, and it will continue to be mine.
