Is it Better to see Movies in Theaters?

Andrew DeMaria, Staff Writer • May 15, 2026

My friend and I at the movie theater, seeing the new Mario movie.

When’s the last time you went out of your way to see a movie in theaters?

Why leave the comfort of your sofa in your own home to sit in uncomfortable, floppy cinema chairs? Why go out of your way to deal with noisy audiences? Why give up control of the remote to not be able to pause the movie for bathroom breaks?

It may seem like going to the cinema is like taking an unnecessary step out of the comfort of your home to go watch a movie in the middle of nowhere, but taking that step might just lead to a memorable viewing experience that you wouldn’t get while lounging on your sofa and falling asleep before the climax of the movie.

Remember how hectic the release of A Minecraft Movie was? Just a shout of “Chicken Jockey!” or “I am Steve” was enough to send the audience into a frenzy. Movie theaters had to deal with audiences loudly cheering, throwing popcorn, and even bringing live chickens into the cinema! It got to the point where some theaters resorted to including pre-film warnings prohibiting the throwing of food and hosting exclusive “Chicken Jockey screenings” where audiences were encouraged to freak out during the now infamous scene.

This craze is a perfect example of the unique experiences theater screenings can give.

I had another memorable movie theater experience just a few weeks ago.

On April 1st, I saw Super Mario Galaxy in theaters on opening night with my friend. I vividly remember how hyped up everyone in that theater was during certain scenes. I left the theater adoring the movie; however, I searched up the movie online and was met with droves of negative reviews and criticisms. Did seeing the movie in theaters really impact my enjoyment of the movie that much?

All the Mario plushies I brought to the theater.

“It was really a work of art. They really poured all of their hearts into this,” said Benjamin Mancuso, the friend I saw the film with. So it’s clear it wasn’t just me who enjoyed the movie more than the several critics online.

Another benefit of going to the theaters is being able to congregate with fans of franchises that get highly anticipated theatrical releases.

For example, I saw the Jujutsu Kaisen movies in theaters. Many passionate fans cosplayed and brought merch, including me! I was amused by the audience and their reactions to certain scenes.

Fans were particularly vocal when a character named Megumi when on screen. He is infamous throughout the fandom for being easy to make fun of. This carried over in theaters as he was met with several “boos.”

Fans of The Amazing Digital Circus were thrilled to see their show make its theatrical debut as its creators, Glitch Productions, decided to air the final episode of their YouTube series in theaters. This event is not only massive for the millions of excited fans who had been previously restrained to watching Glitch shows on phones or tablets, but also a huge leap forward for Indie Animation.

Movie theaters, although hectic at times, can make a viewing experience better than the movies themselves.

Where do you prefer watching movies?

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About the Contributor

Andrew DeMaria, Staff Writer

Andrew DeMaria is a Junior at East Islip High School. He is an aspiring writer and reader who decided to take Journalism and Creative Writing this year to improve his writing skills. He is also heavily involved in the school’s Robotics program where he learned how to fly drones with the hopes of eventually get a job in the industry. Additionally, Andrew has a black belt in MMA and is part of both the Esports club and the Italian Honor Society. Andrew is eager to begin his second year writing for The Broadcaster.