To paraphrase the meme, movie ticket prices are too damn high! This is far from being a new sentiment, as the price for a ticket has been on the rise pretty much since cinemas have been around. For some, these rising numbers are enough to make them – or, worse, a family of four – just stay home. A recent study found that two-thirds of people would rather stay on the couch to stream a movie, with a key reason being said prices. While it’s hard to convince those with some history that the movie theater is dying, it does make us wonder just who the cinemagoing experience is for anymore.
In a recently resurfaced 2016 clip from The Hollywood Reporter’s Directors Roundtable, Quentin Tarantino railed against movie ticket prices, saying, “I’ve been saying this since the 80s, when…you know, when movie ticket prices, they were $5 for everyone in America. And then all of a sudden they started moving up to $6.50 and $7, and $7.25 and $7.50 and all that stuff. The key…is this is a working men’s art form.” Let’s take a look at those numbers real quick. Eight years ago when Tarantino made this statement, the average movie ticket price (as per The Numbers) was $8.65, whereas 2024 prices are at $10.78, a 24.62% increase. Sure, we can take inflation into account when comparing any two given years, but when QT finally releases his 10th and final film, you can expect to be paying top dollar.
As Tarantino continued on his rant against movie ticket prices, “It’s not opera, it’s not theater, it’s not going to a big concert. The idea was that anybody could go and see a movie. That was one of the reasons why movies flourished in the 30s. And it’s not anymore. We have priced them out until now it’s a deal.” On top of this, theaters have even toyed with dynamic pricing based on movie prestige and seat preference, with these upcharges pushing many – even the common man that Tarantino speaks of – to stay at home. And we haven’t even taken into account the concessions…
Sure, there are plenty of options out there that allow for discount tickets, but not everybody can just catch a flick on a Tuesday afternoon – some of us are taking on extra shifts for that Friday night date!
Do you think movie ticket prices are too high? What is the most you’re willing to pay for an opening weekend ticket? Get in on the conversation below!