The Movie Theater Bump (& Knock) in 2024
The Movie Theater Bump (& Knock) in 2024
Plus 5 Most Anticipated Fall Festival Films
For decades in the movie world there has been mention of the “movie theater bump”. Put simply, the “movie theater bump” is when someone has a more meaningful experience with a film because they experienced it in a theater rather than at home.
The thinking is that if you have better sound, a bigger screen, collective experience, and better seats (debatable), you will enjoy the movie more than you would at home.
Even in 2024, I am still an advocate for the theatrical experience. I strongly believe that when it comes to seeing the best movies each year, nothing can top the experience you will have seeing them on the big screen.
However, even I will admit that times are changing. Covid broke our brains in ways that we have never quite recovered from.
Over the past month, I had two separate experiences with new Apple TV+ films that got me thinking about how the “movie theater bump” idea is evolving through time.
Once again for the record, I still think that the “movie theater bump” is very much alive and well when it comes to the best films each year. But what about the worst films each year?
Last month, Apple released “Fly Me To The Moon” in theaters to drum up interest prior to the film being released on their streaming service. On paper it should have been great (well at least good). A throwback rom-com with Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum centered around the space race. Okay, the space race part was a bit random, but a rom-com with two huge stars? Sign me up.
Opening weekend I sat in a sold out matinee crowd on Saturday. Not a soul in that theater (other than me) was under 60 years old. They absolutely ate it up. I couldn’t wait for it to end. Channing Tatum was miscast, the plot was absurd, the commentary was forced, and it felt like I was in that theater for 18 hours. It just kept going and going and going.
After I have a drastic experience with a movie, good or bad, I am always curious what others are saying about the film. In this case, it seemed like most people agreed with my stance.
Fast forward a few weeks & “Fly Me To The Moon” pops up on VOD. People I respect start watching it in the comfort of their own home & while their reviews are far from positive, they aren’t as tough as I was on the film. “Nice easy watch” says one person, which is the last thing I would use to describe the runtime that feels like it is 18 hours long.
I shrug it off for the most part. Glad that someone else enjoyed it more than I did. In fact, I didn’t even think about it again until a few weeks later when Apple released “The Instigators”.
After the failure of “Fly Me To The Moon” in theaters, Apple decided that they were only going to release “The Instigators” in a few movie theaters before dropping it on their streaming service. Due to this decision, it wasn’t released in a theater near me, so I had to watch it at home.
Was “The Instigators” good - not at all. Did I have a good time with it, heck yeah! For a crime thriller that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it is surprisingly fun. Casey Affleck & Matt Damon continue their great chemistry & you get a few laughs along the way.
After watching the film, I was curious what everyone else’s take on it was. It didn’t surprise me that some were in my camp, but I was shocked that others absolutely went in on the film. Acting like it was one of the worst films of the year. Did they watch the same movie I did?
The closer I looked, I realized a pattern.
The people that were going in on “The Instigators” all saw it in a movie theater. The people who saw it at home thought it was perfectly mediocre.
I instantly thought back to being on the other side of this with “Fly Me To The Moon”.
The more I have thought about this, the more I have come to realize that we now have a sibling to the “movie theater bump”. One that I am dubbing the “movie theater knock”.
It has always been true that a great movie is better seen in a movie theater, but now more than ever the opposite is true as well - there is no better place to see a perfectly mediocre movie than at home.
In fact, if you see a below average film in the theater in 2024, chances are you won’t even enjoy the fact that it is mediocre. You will end up resenting the fact that you spent time driving to the theater, sitting through the 30 minutes of previews, and paying $14 for a popcorn. You will resent those things so much that you will take it out on the movie itself. The whole time you will be thinking about how you could have waited to watch it at home.
As someone who loves going to the movie theater & wants nothing more than for others to flock to the theater, this realization is a tough pill to swallow.
But it is a real one and it is one that studios are going to have to grapple with for years to come.
A movie theater makes a good movie so much better, but it also makes a below average movie so much worse.
Those below average movies aren’t so bad when you are sitting on your own couch. Sitting next to your family. Not having to pay $14 for a popcorn. And maybe even checking your phone a few times.
So how do studios address this problem? Honestly, keep doing what they are doing. If something isn’t performing in theaters, put it on VOD ASAP. We have seen this happen with a few newer releases - if it isn’t pulling good numbers after 10-15 days, it gets put on VOD shockingly soon.
Many think that this only hurts theatrical in the long run, but I would argue that is a short sighted view. Sure, it is going to help theatrical in the short-term, but I think it actually could help it in the long run. People don’t want to watch a bad movie in the theaters & allowing people the opportunity to do so is going to do nothing but ruin their perception of seeing movies in theaters.
In the long run, if theatrical is going to succeed, people have to still enjoy going to the movies. Sure, maybe it is not the 10 movies a year that they used to see in theaters. But three or four is better than zero. And if people see too many “Fly Me To The Moon” or “The Instigators” type films in theaters, they are going to lose faith in the theatrical experience. Heck, I was pissed off after “Fly me To The Moon” and I see 80+ movies in theaters a year! People need movie theater experiences like Dune Part 2 or The Zone of Interest to remind them why the theatrical experience is so great.
How do audiences address this problem? Maybe in the future we will live in a world where only good movies get released in theaters, but that time isn’t now. For now, what you can do is read sites like this one & others to help determine if something is worth seeing in theaters or even worth seeing at all. Shameless plug, I know, but I take my role of protecting my audience from bad films very seriously.
All in all, I may be a defender of the theatrical experience, but even I can admit that times have changed. It just isn’t fun seeing bad movies in theaters in 2024.
5 Most Anticipated Fall Festival Films
Fall film festival season is finally upon us! Here are the major festivals the movie world will be watching closely in the coming weeks:
Venice International Film Festival (August 28th - September 7th)
Telluride Film Festival (August 30th - September 2nd)
Toronto International Film Festival (September 5th-15th)
New York Film Festival (September 27th - October 13th)
I will be attending the Virginia Film Festival in late October to get a look at some of the films that play the four big festivals, but in the meantime, here is what I am most anticipating from the major festivals:
5. Babygirl
Logline - “A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.”
Why I am excited - Sure the casting of Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in the two leading roles is exciting, but I am eagerly anticipating this one primarily for the person behind the camera. Halina Reijn’s first studio film, Bodies Bodies Bodies, was one of my top 10 films from 2022. Needless to say, I would be excited for whatever she made next, but certainly helps that this one sounds like a fun throwback.
4. Blitz
Logline - “Follows the stories of a group of Londoners during the events of the British capital bombing in World War II.”
Why I am excited - Blitz won’t be making it’s debut at any of the aforementioned festivals, but instead will wait to open the London Film Festival. Very fitting given the subject matter. World War II dramas are hit or miss for me. With Steve McQueen at the helm of this one & Saoirse Ronan & Harris Dickinson as the leads, it is a pretty safe assumption this one will be excellent. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if this one is a big player at the 2025 Oscars.
3. Saturday Night
Logline - “Tensions run high as producer Lorne Michaels and a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers prepare for the first broadcast of "Saturday Night Live" on Oct. 11, 1975.”
Why I am excited - After Snack Shack earlier this year, Gabriel LaBelle was solidified as one of my favorite up and coming actors in Hollywood. The cool thing about “Saturday Night” is that many of the other great up and comers are also in the film. Jason Reitman at the helm makes me a little nervous, but I think the nature of the film & cast will make this one work.
2. Conclave
Logline - “Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with one of the world's most secretive and ancient events - selecting a new pope.”
Why I am excited - Conclave will mark director Edward Berger’s follow up to “All Quiet on the Western Front”. On the surface, you read the log line and it doesn’t sound like the most interesting movie in the world. But then you see the cast & watch the trailer and you can’t help but be hooked.
1. We Live in Time
Logline - “Almut and Tobias are brought together by a surprise encounter that changes their lives. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of their unconventional love story.”
Why I am excited - This trailer has 9 million views on Youtube & I personally may be 8 million of those. I have been excited about this ever since it was announced. It came in at #4 on my list of Most Anticipated Films of 2024 earlier this year & nothing was known plot wise at the time, just the cast & director. Little did I know that it may end up being the most me movie of all time after I saw the trailer. I am a sucker for an emotional romance film & I am counting down the days until this one rips my heart out.
That is all for now! I will be back soon to dive into some of my favorite films from the summer.
As always, enjoy some great films until next time!
Aaron Nolan