First, the Fall Guy tripped and fell out of the box office gate. And then it was a duo disappointment with both Memorial Day releases, Furiosa and The Garfield Movie, coming up short for the official summer box office race.
Are movie theatres going the way of linear television?
Well, it looks like maybe movies are facing the same harsh realities as TV has had to endure in the last 10 years.
So what is going on that movie lovers are staying away from the movie theatres in 2024?
1. Money, money, money
Despite the continued rise of wages including the rise of minimum wages federally and across several provinces this year, big fixed costs like housing and food remain stubbornly high.
As this CTV News article states from a Statistics Canada analyst, food prices are expected to “decelerate”. Meaning, they’re not exactly going to lower in price, but it’s not as high as it was previously (thanks greedflation). And as for housing, don’t hold your breath about buying a single family home right now.
And as most people who have other fixed and very necessary expenses that are also rising in costs like internet, cell phone, school, car, and insurance just to name a few, the higher wage increases are likely going towards these types of expenses. There’s probably very little left in what we learned in economics class as “disposable income” to spend on things like movies.
One movie ticket including taxes in most places in Canada is almost as much as the minimum wage in the province. When I was a kid in the 90s and had no job, I was going to the movies in the summer with my siblings and friends sometimes twice a week. And we’d see any new release because it was very affordable. But those were the days when $10 could get you very far at a movie theatre.
Now I have more money in my pocket, but that doesn’t mean I can afford to see every single movie that looks good. I have to prioritize life's necessities first. And I’m not the only one who’s serious about controlling unnecessary expenses.
In this Ipsos Poll conducted for Global News, 70% of those polled were worried about not being able to absorb any unexpected $1,000 cost and 53% were worried about having enough money for food.
Of important note of this article is 53% of those polled said they planned to cut back on eating out (which oftentimes the movie going experience also includes eating out), 48% will search for sales (there’s rarely any sales at the movie theatres), and 45% said they would spend less on entertainment (which includes movie theatres).
2. My time is also money
The duration of a movie has in more recent times been debated about for new releases. The duration can be a signal of the quality of the film or it’s a red alert for those movie fans who have a red line run time for movies they are willing to sit through in a public theatre.
These days, movies are running much longer than it did in the past. The top 10 films in 2022 was 2 hours and 21 minutes compared to 1 hour and 50 minutes in 1981. Pete Davidson’s SNL parody, “Short-Ass Movies” pretty much says it all about this issue.
Life in 2024 is very different from life 20, 30, or even 40 years ago. Time used to be more plentiful. We weren’t all so overworked in school or in the office or just with home life. I remember carving out precious after dinner study time for a French unit test as I waited in line with my siblings to get tickets to see Mission: Impossible.
Now, I have to book time off for errands and schedule when I can make social calls to friends. The hours of my day are pre-allocated and I can’t spend what’s essentially an entire day off to see a movie.
An “entire day” when you’re an adult is any event that’s 3+ hours. And as we all know, you have to add an hour or two of travel time when you’re doing anything outside of the home. So if Killers of the Flower Moon is clocking in at nearly 3.5 hours, I’m fine paying the $30 to buy it on digital and watching it at home.
3. Social media killed the FOMO
Back in the day, seeing a movie felt like an exclusive experience with Hollywood stars. And it was especially a thrilling feeling for those of us from small towns or isolated areas far from anything remotely cool.
But if you want to see Tom Cruise or Sandra Bullock, you can buy a ticket for their next movie. It was almost the same feeling as buying tickets to see my favorite band in concert. I collected all the entertainment magazines and watched all the late night shows to catch a glimpse of my favorite movie stars.
These days, you don’t have to buy a movie ticket to see them in action or feel “close” to them. Just go on YouTube or Instagram and you’re likely to find a podcast, some special behind the scenes footage, fan encounter videos, or even clips of the latest movie they’re in.
Most of these stars have their own personal social media accounts where you can see what’s going on with them year round. It’s possible to feel like you’ve seen the movie or caught up with your favorite movie star without having to go to the movies.
4. Phoning it in when it comes to service
The movie theatre experience used to feel like a nice hotel vacation experience. The décor appeared high end and as if you were in a true cinema.
The food and drink seemed bigger and tastier than if you bought the same treat in a store. The bathrooms were clean and on par with what you’d find in a nice hotel or airport. And there were actual employees around to greet you and make you feel as if you and your experience was taken care of.
Now, you’re sitting in seats that are torn or worn. You’re walking on the same carpet you walked on when you were a kid. The cost of any one drink, one popcorn, or one candy is almost the same as the ticket, but you’re not paying for higher quality, more quantity, or better taste. And you won't see many employees around.
Movie theatres these days operate more like government service centres or an airline. They think they can just phone it in because they’re the only game in town or within the vicinity playing a certain movie. But don’t expect any bells or whistles or anything that makes you feel like the money you spent went towards enhancing the experience.
5. Inconvenient locations
Going to a movie theatre is not as easy for some as it is for others. Where I live, the few theatres that play current movies are concentrated in one side of town. Those of us who live in the suburbs have to make arrangements to get to a theatre. Public transit is also not reliable or accessible, so you have to drive through traffic and street construction and find parking.
There used to be a theatre closer to home, but it closed down many years ago. Physically going to the movies used to be a fun and even relaxing experience. Now, it’s annoying and stressful.
6. Streaming and TV
Before streaming became a thing, the only way to view a new movie release was going to the movies. And if you missed it, you could wait for it to be available for rental 6 months later. Or if you can’t be bothered to shell out money for a rental, a year or two later, it may be on TV.
But now, if you have at least two or three of the big streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, or Apple+, you can probably catch 9/10 new movie releases on one of those services eventually.
And for those who can’t be bothered to spend money on extra things like streaming services, the endless number of available cable TV channels can also be a source to watch movies.
Maybe I didn’t pay close enough attention in the past, but I think these days, the turnaround time between a movie being released in theatre and it being available on TV is much shorter now.
7. Diminishing star power
Will Smith used to be the summer blockbuster hero with big popcorn movies like Men In Black and Independence Day. It’s 30 years later and Will Smith is back with another potential summer blockbuster, Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
A-list actors like Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, and Sandra Bullock are part of the legacy box office draw generation.
This Hollywood Reporter article name checking the next ten movie stars destined for the A-list doesn’t have the same cachet. Although all are highly talented and I’m always happy to see them as part of the cast, I’m not rushing to the theatre because Zendaya, Austin Butler, Paul Mescal, or Timothee Chalamet is starring in a movie.
Now, if they happen to be in a movie that I’m interested in seeing because it’s part of a known franchise or there’s another superstar starring in the film, then I’m very thrilled to see them. But these are not the actors who will convince me to buy a ticket.
I’m going to see Gladiator 2 because it’s Gladiator and Denzel Washington is in it. Not because of Paul Mescal. I’m going to see Twisters because it’s the sequel to Twister. Not because Glen Powell is in it. I’m going to see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice not because of Jenna Ortega, but because it’s Beetlejuice and the original director and several of the original cast is in it.
The era of the movie star who can command ticket sales is fading if not over. The legacy crew notwithstanding, you can’t count on a singular actor to guarantee ticket sales. It’s now a combination of factors: familiarity of the brand or franchise. The director/writer/producer. The genre. Buzz. Timing. And who knows.
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