Going to the movies never runs out of fashion. Through a global survey, Real Research realized that cinema enthusiasts still prefer the big screen rather than watching films on home television.

Highlights

  • Around 38% of the respondents go to the cinema once a week.
  • Partners and friends top the favorite companions for cinema enthusiasts.
  • Trailers at the cinema remain the principal way for people to find new movies.

People’s pace of life has accelerated more and more in recent years; however, it seems that a trip to the cinema remains one of the people’s favorite activities to forget about stress.

A trip to the cinema gives viewers an immersive experience. With video streaming platforms growing subscriptions, are people still going to theaters? The answer is yes!

With the growth of streaming platforms such as Netflix or Apple TV, it was expected that respondents would leave their cinematic preferences for the small screen since the cost is lower, convenient, and a click away. Surprisingly, going to the movies continues to be at the top of respondents’ preferences regarding entertainment, and 38% of participants claim to go to the movies at least once a week.

Apparently, the seventh art has not lost its charm for the streamings. Even after a time of confinement, the Real Research survey participants seem to enjoy a trip to the cinema, mainly in the company of their partners or friends.

how often do you go to a cinema

To the question, “How often do you go to a cinema?” most respondents said they saw movies on the big screen once a week (36.8%). Once a month comes after with 16% of respondents, and in third place, we have people going to the movies more than once a week (14.3%).

Finally, only 3.1% of the respondents claim not to go to the cinema. As mentioned above, this shows that despite the high-prices and the trip to the nearest cinema, people still prefer the big screen rather than their home televisions.

Partner and Friends Are The Chosen Companion When Going to The Cinema

Going to the cinema is a popular activity for all ages, yet it is an activity that our respondents prefer not to do alone. If you see your favorite movie on the big screen and it’s exciting, it becomes even better when in the company of someone we like.

In this sense, our respondents elected partners and friends as the preferred companies on a trip to the cinema, with the family arriving in third place but with a large margin. Alone does not seem to be a viable option since only 3.2% of respondents chose this option.

who do you usually go to the cinema with

To the question, “Who do you usually go to the cinema with?” opinions are divided between partners (41.7%) and friends or colleagues (41.6%). The remaining options had a much lesser adherence, with only 10.8% choosing family members as a company when going to the cinema and 3.2% going alone.

Apparently, people really have preferences in their choices with whom to go to the cinema, since the option ‘varies’ received only 2.7% of the votes. This shows that not only the film or the experience is essential but also sharing the moment with someone important.

Action, Fantasy, and Comedy Are Favorites

The genre of the film depends on the mood but also on the place where we see it. In fact, there are films that are seen more in cinema, as is the case with action and adventure, or fantasy films. Surprisingly, comedy films come in second in our survey with a large percentage of participants wanting to go to the cinema to have a good laugh.

Not surprisingly, Sci-Fi and Horror are at the bottom of the list, as they are genres that do not please everyone and collect a very specific fan niche.

What is your favorite movie genre

As we can see in the graph above, to what question, ‘What is your favorite movie genre? “Adventure and action come first, with 30.1% of the respondents choosing this option. Not surprisingly, next comes fantasy with 26.9% of the votes, with films like Marvel, Harry Potter, or box office champions Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, filling theaters all over the world.

Thirdly, with 26% of the votes, are comedies, an interesting phenomenon that represents the importance of having some fun when going to the cinema. Horror (10%), Sci-Fi (2.7%), Suspense (2.5%) occupy the last places taking into account that it has particular fan clubs.

Romance is the least favorite genre, with only 1.6% of respondents choosing this option. However, this may mean that the lack of spectacularity or surprise can attract more television viewers than cinema enthusiasts.

where are you most likely to find out about new films

In line with this, most of the respondents get to know new films when going to the theaters. 40.2% of the respondents are most likely to find about new movies through trailers on the big screen, with movie reviews coming after with 31.8% of the respondents.

The Immersive Experience is the Most Important Reason to Go to the Cinema

It is common knowledge that cinemas bring us more immersive and intense experiences when we see a film. In this sense, to the question “What are the top reasons that can encourage you to watch in the cinema?”, The answer “the immersive experience brought about by a huge screen and surround sound” collects 37.8% of the votes. Then comes the answer, “An engaging activity to do with friends or family,” with 34.1%.

What are the top reasons that can encourage you to watch in the cinema

Interestingly, the idea of seeing a film first hand on a large slave before being released to the television or online collects only 15.5% of the responses. This shows that what drives people to the cinema is far from the film but the whole experience that involves this activity.

Hanging out with important people or getting lost in a parallel reality shown on a giant and loud screen make us want to go back to the cinema, accompanied by people who like to share this moment with us.