“We come to this place for magic.” Nicole Kidman’s words give us this promise before the lights dim. “We come to AMC Theatres to laugh, to cry, to care,” because we need that. All of us. There is something almost sacred about that moment when the screen flickers to life: the hush of a crowd, the glow of anticipation, the feeling that, for the next two hours, the world outside no longer exists. We are transported.
But for a time, that magic felt like it was slipping away: the COVID-19 pandemic hit movie theaters with devastating force. In 2019, the North American box office generated around $11.4 billion. By 2020, that number plummeted to just over $2 billion, a collapse unlike anything in modern film history. Seats sat empty, and projectors went dark. The shared experience of cinema, once a cornerstone of culture, was replaced by streaming services and isolation. Even as restrictions lifted, many wondered if theaters would recover. Why leave home when the movies could come to you?
And yet, something is missing. Watching a film at home is convenient, but it is not the same as seeing a movie in the theater. It cannot replicate the collective gasp of an audience, the laughter that ripples through rows of strangers or the shared anticipation during a tense moment. Cinema was never meant to be consumed alone in fragments, and it’s time we all realized that.
Thankfully, the in-person cinema experience has begun to return in recent years. In 2023, films like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” released on the same day, reignited audiences in what became known as the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, drawing millions back into theaters. The box office rebounded to over $9 billion, still shy of pre-pandemic levels, but a powerful sign of life. Crowds lined up again, and showtimes sold out. The theater, once declared obsolete, proved it still had a pulse.
Still, in-person cinema is nowhere near its peak. According to a Los Angeles Times article published on March 31, 2025, box office revenue was down 11% compared with the same period in the previous year. Movie theaters are still struggling. According to the Los Angeles Magazine, Look Dine-In Cinemas in Downey and Monrovia, AMC Promenade 16 in Woodland Hills and iPic in Pasadena are either shut down or scheduled to close. Thus, we must help movie theaters recover.
With innovations like AMC A-List, a subscription service that allows moviegoers to see four films a week for a flat monthly price, there’s even more reason to go to the movies frequently. For students, especially, it transforms the theater from an occasional luxury into a regular habit. An average AMC ticket can cost approximately $15 to $25. With an AMC A-List subscription, the cost is lowered to less than $2 per movie, should you take full advantage of the membership. By lowering the financial barrier, the AMC A-List makes cinema accessible again and invites people to take chances on films they might otherwise skip.
Another reason to contribute to the cinema revival is to support art and artistic expression. Film is one of the most powerful artistic media we have. It combines storytelling, music, performance and visual design into something greater than the sum of its parts. A single scene can feature the emotional weight of a novel. A single frame can linger in your mind for years. And when experienced on a massive screen, with sound that shakes your chest and images that tower over you, those moments become unforgettable. In addition, supporting the film industry is, in turn, aiding the LA economy. According to FilmLA, the entertainment industry, including film production and television, contributes over $115 billion annually to the regional economy and supports around 681,000 jobs. So by going to the theaters, not only do you gain an unforgettable experience, but you also support thousands of employees.
Theaters give films the space they deserve. At home, distractions are endless: phones buzz, tabs open, attention drifts. In a theater, you are forced, beautifully, intentionally, to focus. You sit in the dark with nothing but the story, allowing it to resonate and consume you completely. As senior Eli Axel said, “A film can exist anywhere, but it can only live in a theater.”
That is why the revival of cinema matters. Supporting theaters is not just about saving a business. It is about preserving a cultural experience. It is about protecting a space where stories can be shared in their fullest form, where art can be felt rather than skimmed, where strangers can become an audience, united, if only for a moment, by a single story.
Upcoming films like “The Odyssey,” “Avengers: Doomsday,” “Dune Part Three,” and “Toy Story 5” remind me that cinema hasn’t lost its ambition. These are not stories meant to be squeezed on the tiny boundaries of our phone screens; they are meant to be experienced fully–experienced in-person.
So go to the movies. Because something real is waiting for you there. Buy the ticket. Sit in the dark. Let the screen pull you in. Because when the lights dim, you are not just watching a story. You are part of it. You are laughing with strangers and holding your breath with them. That kind of magic can only survive if we show up.
