Life is good series: Life is good so go to the Cinema

by George Hornby

Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, films across the world have been delayed, halted production, cancelled or sent to streaming platforms. But why, as restrictions are easing and pre-pandemic life seems to be on the horizon, are film studios still doing this?

Being sent to streaming is a fate that most films are now being handed, whether free to any of the platform’s subscribers or locked behind a £20 fee, film studios see this as a lesser evil than delaying a film any longer and having to shell out more funds more marketing when they finally come to release the film. But, even as more and more films are getting a theatrical release, there is still the option to pay another £20, and watch the film from home the day it reaches cinemas. Sadly, this leads to less people leaving the house to go and watch a film in a cinema, and rather stay in the comfort of their own home.

The issues this raises within the film industry are concerning, as piracy numbers for films released onto streaming platforms are way higher than normally released films. 2021s Black Widow is reported to have been the most pirated film during the pandemic era, further proving that not only are films that are released on streaming instead of solely in cinemas losing money, they are harming the industry as a whole.

Furthermore, even now films that were scheduled for release in the coming months, namely Top Gun: Maverick and Mission Impossible 7 have been pushed back due to poor box office performance by the few films that have seen a theatrical release. This is all because of the rise of streaming platforms, and their availability.

Film needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Many celebrities have repeated this over the last few months and it has lost none of it’s inherent truth. Without going to a cinema, films lose their specialness and people lose their jobs

Life is good. Go to the cinema.