Why Movie Theaters Are Failing Despite Blockbuster Success

Big screens and big bills

Big blockbusters. Terrible theaters. Movie quality is rising while the viewing experience is taking a steep fall.

In 2026, we watched the internet go insane over movie releases like Obsession, The Backrooms, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Resident Evil. I went to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day and will be going to the theater to watch Avengers: Doomsday; these were some of the decade’s highest-rated movies, which compelled a lot of people, myself included, to go to the theater and watch them. I was personally shocked by the price of the movie-going experience.

Recently, when I went to watch the latest Spider-Man movie, the ticket cost was $40 each; 3 tickets, a large popcorn, and two drinks brought the total to around $120. This high cost makes it less and less realistic to go to the cinema multiple times a month and see every movie you want.

A young man in a Spider-Man suit with a city skyline in the background, featuring a dramatic lighting effect that transitions from dark to bright.

Movie theaters themselves are getting worse. One example is the Cinemark Egyptian 24 XD theater in Arundel Mills. In late February of this year, I went there to watch Scream 7. When I went, I was very disappointed with the state of the theater; the recliner I was originally seated in didn’t work, and the seat next to me had a hole in the cushion at the lower back.