Sit Back and Relax

The Advantages of Watching a Movie at Home Instead of Going to Theaters

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For years, going to movie theaters with a group of friends was an event that we anticipated and cherished. Now, this fun night out has become a thing of the past and staying at home to watch a movie is the new way of living. Regardless of the entertainment that comes with experiencing a movie in theaters, watching a movie at home has several advantages that can lead to a more comfortable and positive movie experience.

A primary benefit of streaming movies at home is the convenience and easy accessibility. Many people, especially students, struggle fitting a trip to the movie theater into their busy schedules. Movies can be played at any time of day at home, whereas in a public theater, there is only a limited number of times that a movie is shown. This is extremely helpful in a teenager’s life because they have packed schedules with school, work, extracurriculars and homework. Streaming movies at home allows students to fit the movie in their schedule rather than working their schedule around to squeeze in a trip to the movie theater. Even then, high schoolers are tired enough after a full week of school and may want to rest up on the weekends while watching a show or movie in their room.

Additionally, streaming movies at home can be much more cost effective. Depending on the movie theater, the average cost of a movie ticket is a little over $10, but for tickets outside of a matinee, the cost increases exponentially. This also doesn’t take into account the excessive markup on snack prices, which add up quickly and can easily cost around $30 in total for one person. When finding a movie to watch at home, the price decreases dramatically. Watching films on streaming services can be much cheaper in the long run, even with the monthly or yearly subscriptions that Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime require.

Another huge perk to staying at home to watch a movie is that there are fewer distractions that can disrupt the film’s plot and concept. At home, there won’t be any loud strangers spoiling the movie, and families can enjoy spending time together without any trouble or background noises. However, if you are the type of person who likes discussing what's going on while a movie is playing, individuals have the freedom to pause the movie if needed and can even rewind parts of it to get a second shot at unraveling the more confusing scenes. Another great aspect of this is that movie rentals can be rewatched multiple times if needed. In most instances, rentals have viewer access for up to 24-48 hours, allowing one to watch it again, or come back to the movie hours later without any repercussions, so long as it is within the specific time.

Although there are several perks to watching a movie at home, some individuals prefer to see a newly released movie in the theaters because it provides a more entertaining atmosphere for viewers. Apart from the amusement, the sound effects, speaker system and massive movie screen that cinemas present also make for a great experience. Despite this, most of these elements can be adjusted to work just as well in one's home, giving groups the same excitement that a theater would.

It is a personal decision on whether one would rather stream a movie at home or see a movie in theaters. Although there are vast amounts of benefits that come with staying home to watch a certain movie, it all depends on what an individual prefers at that moment, and which method fits into their daily schedule the best.