Have you ever found the movie theaters too expensive? Does your dad want to buy the DVD four months after a movie is released because it’s “cheaper?” Does no one want to watch the latest craze because they can’t fit a single use movie ticket in their budget? With tickets being $10 minimum today, it’s hard to find the movie theaters a good value for a one-time watch.
Recently MoviePass, a subscription based service allows customers to redeem one movie ticket per day at most theaters for a monthly or annual fee.
MoviePass has existed since 2011 charging $50 a month. Since August 2017, that fee has dropped to $10 a month or $90 a year, making the service much more accessible to moviegoers.
The way it works is MoviePass holders download the application on their phone, via App Store or Google Play and reserve a movie of their choice on their smart phone. Once at the movies, users hand a MoviePass debit card (that they will mail to you) to the box office to charge. The user gets the movie ticket and is let into the theater.
Since their user base exploded, MoviePass struggled to keep up demand for sending customers their MoviePass card. Some customers waited up to a month to receive their cards. MoviePass has since then ironed out the kinks of their new business model. If ordered today, customers will typically receive their cards within 5-7 business days.
I have been a MoviePass holder since October and while there are some cons, the service has proven to be a great value.
There are limitations to MoviePass. According to their website, “Your $9.95 unlimited MoviePass subscription allows you to see one standard 2D movie every calendar day at any participating theater. We currently do not support (in part or entirety) any enhanced or special screenings that involve an up-charge at the theater. Examples of these would include 3D, IMAX, Fathom Events, DBOX, ETX/RPX, film festival screenings, etc.”
Other than not being able to see any fancy formats like 3D, and IMAX, MoviePass is excellent for casual moviegoers like myself.
The ticket redemption allows me freedom for choosing movies. Without the worry of wasting money on a terrible movie, I can watch all of the movies in the theaters without any regrets.
When out with friends, I don’t have to worry about thinking what to do. We use MoviePass and have a great time with no planning.
Most of the time, movies are great. But there are some that are just unbearable.
This is the true beauty of MoviePass: walking out!
The feeling of walking out of a movie without any regret is powerful. No longer do I regret wasting an egregious amount of money for a terrible time.
So what makes MoviePass better than something like Netflix? The theatre experience. For many, it is hard to replicate the surround sound and giant screen which is calibrated for an experience like no other. The feeling of being somewhere other than home watching Netflix is refreshing.
Overall the MoviePass service has been great and I recommend anyone pick it up if you even enjoy movies.
