The other day, I went to see a movie in the movie theater. It was the opening night of the show, and yet there were only seven people in the theater, including myself. Granted, it was not a great movie, nor did it receive a lot of publicity, but I still found myself feeling sad about the decrease in movie theater popularity.

It was only 20 years ago that the opening night of a much-anticipated movie was a huge ordeal.  Movie patrons would dress up as their favorite characters and get in line hours before the beginning of the show. There was no reserving seats ahead of time. Instead, you had to throw the dice and hope that you joined the line early enough to get a seat.

While waiting in line, you’d make friends with the people around you and take pictures of the amazing costumes. I remember a group of Harry Potter fans making up fan-fiction songs before the midnight showing of the 7th Harry Potter movie, part 2. It was delightful! Some of my fondest memories are dressing up like Eowyn for The Return of the King, Rita Skeeter for Harry Potter, and Effie Trinket for The Hunger Games.

But alas, not anymore. Gone are the days of dressing in costume to see a movie. Gone are the days of making friends with people while you wait in line for a show you mutually love. Gone are the days of the heart-pounding anxiety when they finally started letting people into the theater, and you weren’t sure if you’d be able to get a seat or not.

I can admit that perhaps being able to choose your seat ahead of time has its perks. But why can’t we bring back the camaraderie of engaging in conversation with fellow costumed movie goers as you anticipate the beginning of a beloved show in a theater? It’s not just the loss of standing in line for hours, or the costumes; it’s the concept of going to a movie in a theater with other people who love the story too that’s dying out.  Obviously, movie theater attendance plummeted during 2020, and we did see a steady increase in movie theater attendance for the following three years. But 2024 and 2025 have seen a decrease in attendance. In fact, at its height, theaters were selling 1.3 billion tickets a year according to business reports. This year, theaters are projected to sell just over 700 million tickets – half of what was sold during the most successful years.

I understand that people enjoy streaming movies in their home. Afterall, watching a movie on your tv means you don’t have to drive anywhere, you don’t need a babysitter, you can stay in your pajamas, and you can save money by eating your own snacks. But you miss out on experiencing the movie on the big screen, you miss out on the movie theater popcorn, which simply cannot be replicated, and you miss out on seeing the movie in a room full of other people who are just as excited as you are to see a show.

So here is my plea: the next time there is a movie coming out, go and see it in the theater. After all, the magic of the movies isn’t just in the films themselves, but in the shared experience of watching them unfold on the big screen with fellow movie lovers. Make connections with other people, and let’s preserve this cultural experience.