Presley Long – Mustangs Ahead

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – The Oscars, presented on March 25, allowed film lovers and makers alike to see their favorite movies of the year compete to win in multiple categories.

Maybe the most prestigious annual category is best picture and this year, the movie “CODA” won, leaving many viewers confused.

“CODA” was not a movie that many had heard about, and it won against popular movies such as “Dune” and “West Side Story.”

The win of “CODA” led me to wonder where everyone else was watching this movie as I had never heard of it being released in theaters.

As it turns out, “CODA” was released to Apple TV and in select movie theaters (only 600 in the U.S.) on Aug. 13, 2021.

This led to me to think about whether I would have chosen to watch this movie in theaters if it did not win best picture.

In recent years, movie theaters have been dominated by large franchises such as Marvel and “Star Wars,” and less commercial films have been pushed aside to streaming sights.

Especially during the pandemic movies were released straight to websites such as Netflix, HBO Max, and Paramount Plus instead of being released in theatres.

Fans flocked to the theaters to see highly anticipated movies such as “Spiderman: No Way Home.”  They know that everyone in the theater appreciates it and loves it as much as they do.

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But if Oscar nominated films such as “Power of the Dog” were originally released in theaters instead of streaming sights, would they be as popular?

I do not think they would be.

When my friends recommend a movie to me, it is easy to get online at once and pull up the film. But if a movie released exclusively in theaters, I would have to work around my schedule to find time to see it, drive to the theater, and sit in the theater where I am not allowed to do anything but focus on the movie.

Many Mustangs agree with my preference of streaming over theaters.

“There isn’t a worse experience than sitting upright in a crowded room, where I cannot take breaks from watching the movie and there are no subtitles,” said senior Macy Walter.

Several Mustangs also mentioned the price difference.

Sophomore Emma Wantuch added, “A lot of the times I end up not liking the movies being played at the theater and it’s a waste of money.”

Nowadays a single move ticket typically ranges from $7 to $10. For streaming it’s around the same price per month for unlimited streams with hundreds of options.

Whether or not people enjoy going to the theater or streaming at home is subjective, but based on recent movie trends, streaming is in an increasingly popular option.