IS CINEMA A DYING OR EVOLVING ART?

For many, the cinema is a film fans first memorable experience with film. My first being at age eight. The feeling still lingers of the smell of fresh buttery popcorn, the sound of the speakers drumming on the walls, the lights going dark, and the title card filling the screen, ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’. But in this day and age, there is a battle between methods of film consumption, cinema and streaming platforms. 

Why is it that people believe cinema may be a dying art? It is no secret that COVID-19 had significant impact in cinema attendance with operating cinemas decreasing by 17%. But cinemas are yet to return to normal, as box office revenue has decreased from £1.25 billion in 2019 to £978 million in 2023 as shown in a study by the North West Londoner. This comes alongside a time of a spike in streaming platforms. People were left with only streaming platforms during the global pandemic, and that convenience has stuck. The challenge now lies with increasing people visiting cinemas. It’s not a case of the film industry creating better products but cinemas creating better experiences or offering more affordable pricing. 

As of April 2025, Netflix has reached 301.6 monthly global subscribers. With films in such easy access on streaming platforms, it begs the question, is cinema necessary? However, recent crazes within the younger generation prove that cinema is necessary. The newfound popularity of the film social media platform ‘Letterboxd’ has spiked the attention particularly of young adults across the globe. As a film review tool, ‘Letterboxd’ encourages film fanatics to get out to local cinemas as it features film reviews, film ratings, cinema timings, local gems, and interviews with those involved in the making of films. This brings a new way of life to the film community and people are provided with a sense of home and being. Things like this prove that cinema is an evolving art as new generations are introduced to and fall in love with cinema. However, it may also equally encourage the use of streaming platforms to engage with films, as the yearly films watched wrap ups and the details surrounding where you can access each film, make the films more accessible. 

Alongside new releases, the has been a significant increase in bringing back movies of the past to the cinema, whether that be the digital version or the 35mm version of the film. In doing so, this has encouraged an increase in people visiting the cinema. Some are there to revisit films of their childhood, and some to discover films that came before their favourites as of recent. But all prove that cinema is an evolving art. Upon visiting the cinema to see the re-release of the 2005 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ there was a clear increase in people by the almost double. 

As long as films are here to stay, there will always be a demand for the existence of cinemas, there just needs be more incentive for a wider audience to engage.