To the Cinema We Go: Exploring Moviegoing in a Pandemic

Since the advent of the first films in the 1890s to the modern era, movies have been a form of entertainment and a medium that helped shape and alter aspects of American society. The establishment of movie theaters created a moviegoing experience that people could enjoy worldwide. Society today is vastly different from what it was fifty or even twenty years ago. With advancements in technology and the rise of popular streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, the film industry and movie theaters are already attempting to compete with these newer, often more convenient, and inexpensive options. Movie theaters are now in a much more precarious position with the continuous rise of COVID-19 cases, especially in the U.S.

Social distancing has significantly impacted many businesses, especially movie theaters. For the past few months, theaters have been shut down. Only recently have individual theaters in certain states begun to reopen and attempt to bring audiences back.

However, most movie theaters in major cities like DC, Los Angeles, and New York remain closed, which has had a massive impact on the industry as a whole. Studios have delayed releasing many of their big-budget features to avoid financial losses from low box office returns. Movies like Black Widow (2021), Fast and Furious 9 (2021), and A Quiet Place Part II (2021) have all had their release dates shifted. As a result, the few theaters that have reopened are left with no new content to showcase...