The pleasing smell of warm buttered popcorn and the proud glow of the big screen in a darkened room are just two ways to describe the movie theater experience. Maybe you have a hot air popcorn popper in your house or a 75” TV, but nothing can compare to watching the big screen with your friends and a pile of overpriced snacks you most likely finish before the movie even begins. Movie theaters will always have a place in this world, despite the overwhelming increase of streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. 

          The last movie I saw in a theater was Frozen 2. It was a last-minute decision on Saturday night because we didn’t have anything else to do. At first, I expressed feelings like a little kids movie? Really? However, movie theaters work magic with its roaring sound and brilliant picture quality to pull people into movies. Although movie tickets can get expensive, many people choose to watch popular and highly rated movies to watch in theaters and save the older ones for streaming. 

          There are millions of people who follow movie series’ like Star Wars or franchises like Marvel Studios. “Avengers: Endgame” particularly showed that movie theaters can still be on top. According to the New York Times, it took in $1.2 billion worldwide in just one weekend and more than 100 million people were said to have watched it during its opening. According to CNBC, last year there was a 5% rise in the number of movie tickets sold and at its current pace, the box office is expected to grow to haul in $12 billion this year if theaters are not too negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

          This shows the power theaters hold to deliver an experience of community when new and exciting movies are released. Many people ask, “Why go to a theater when Netflix is available with just a reach into your pocket?” The answer is because, in reality, nothing can beat the emotions you feel as a group in a packed theater. When tension rises in a movie you can feel the mood of the room shift and the same goes for the exciting moments. It’s bizarre to think that you are with a group of strangers for two hours but somehow are untied by the theater experience to the point where you can laugh, scream, and cry together and it’s all normal. 

          Netflix and Hulu might provide competition for movie theaters, but in the end movie theaters always showcase new movies before any streaming service can release them. So if movie enthusiasts are dying to see a movie, a theater is the first place to go. 

          Furthermore, if movie theaters do start to die down, trends come back. Drive-in movies were most popular in the 1950s, but in this social media crazed generation, even drive-ins are starting to come back. Many people attend drive-in movies in the summer to get cute pictures to post on VSCO or Instagram. 

          Most families have a kitchen, but still go out to eat. The same goes for movie watchers. CNBC stated that home entertainment services and theaters both grew strongly in 2018. They are in it to grow together.