Is Your MoviePass Subscription Still Worth It?
We watch the death of MoviePass in real time. Last week, the movie ticket subscription service began actively closing its coffin, canceling cancellations by users and limiting the number of movies you can watch in addition to the number of views.
With its decline, the all-you-can-eat approach to movie ticket sales has disappeared. Much of our initial interest in MoviePass was based on its promise: for $ 10 a month, you could watch a movie every day, giving you carte blanche to watch more movies. You can watch every movie that seemed at least somewhat interesting. There are other movie ticket subscriptions out there, of course, but none offer a deal as tempting as the original $ 10 flat fee from MoviePass.
However, that doesn’t mean that movie subscriptions aren’t worth thinking about, especially since most of us have never really taken advantage of that promise. As MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe said in an email sent to subscribers last week, 85 percent of MoviePass subscribers watch three or fewer movies every month, even if they had the opportunity to watch a movie every day. Chances are, if you have or have had a MoviePass account, you haven’t used it to the fullest, so losing that option of watching movies a day won’t really be a big loss.
To weigh the pros and cons of using a subscription-based service model, consider a little mental recalibration. Rather than thinking of a MoviePass-style subscription as a way to watch more movies, it’s time to look at it as a way to save money on movies you already plan to watch. Seen in this light, it’s pretty easy to decide whether or not you should sign up for a movie ticketing service just by looking at when, where, and how you go to the movies.
Here are some questions to help you clarify the problem.
How often do you go to the cinema?
Obviously this is the biggest one. While it depends on where you live and if you can get to the matinee regularly, all three movie subscriptions – MoviePass, Stubs A-List, and Sinemia – are usually only cost-effective if you go to watch at least two films every month. If this sounds like science fiction, then it probably isn’t worth it.
Here’s a very rundown of how much the three movie ticket subscription services cost and what you get in return.
Cost: $ 9.99 per month.
Usage: three films per month.
Limitations: Currently, you can only watch 1-2 movies in most cinemas. Standard views only. Some closed sessions. Limited to one viewing per day. There is no way to book tickets in advance.
Cost : $ 19.99 per month (three months term).
Usage : three films per week with the possibility of pre-booking tickets.
Restrictions: AMC cinemas only.
Cost : $ 19.99- $ 34.99 per month (although they have a very big sale right now), plus a $ 20 membership fee that can be waived if you pay a year in advance.
Usage: 1-3 films per month, depending on the tariff plan. Possibility to reserve tickets for up to 30 days.
Limitations : one viewing per day. “Classic” plans do not include 3D, 4D and IMAX views.
As you can see, three films a month are currently the best option for these services. Both MoviePass and the more expensive but much less restrictive Sinemia max service release three films a month. If you go to the movies at least once a week, then AMC’s A-List is probably your best bet, which allows you three films a week if you live near an AMC movie theater. AMC is the largest movie theater chain in the country, so it’s not necessarily as strict as it sounds.
Where do you live?
If you travel a lot and / or go to different movie theaters a lot, you may have noticed that there are actually very few rhymes or reasons when it comes to movie ticket prices. Depending on where you live and what theaters you go to, you may be accustomed to paying $ 6-8 per ticket or $ 14-18.
For example, if I wanted to watch Mission: Impossible: Fallout at AMC Empire 25 in Times Square on Tuesday night, it would be $ 16.29. At Regal Countryside 20 in Sterling, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC, the same movie would have cost $ 6.39. It was “Fab Tuesday” at the Silverspot Cinema Metsquare in Miami, so it was only $ 10.70 last night, but the standard admission ticket to the Marcus Deluth Cinema in Delute, Minnesota was just $ 5.
With such dramatic fluctuations, the price of a ticket to your theater or theaters will determine which plans make sense, if they make sense to you. For a New Yorker, any plan that allows me to go to at least one movie for $ 10 is a good deal. On the contrary, if you live in Sterling or Delute, you need to watch 2-3 films before it makes sense. What’s more, Sinemia, which typically charges $ 35 to watch three movies a month but includes access to more 3D and IMAX views, might not make sense at all.
It’s also important to consider whether you live in a city where the movies you want to watch are often sold out. In this case, a service like MoviePass, which requires you to buy tickets in person at the theater on the day of the show, may make less sense than Sinemia or Stubs, which have the option to purchase tickets in advance.
Do you have a theater?
Aside from regional price changes, your particular theater can also play a role in whether or not you should sign up. Of the three main services, only Sinemia allows you to go to any theater, and as we mentioned earlier, this can be too expensive to make sense if you live near a theater where movie tickets are not too expensive. Since Stubs A-List and MoviePass have some limitations for cinemas, it’s important to find out if they cover the theater or theaters you like.
This is probably most important if you are thinking of subscribing to the AMC Stubs A-List, which is only available in AMC theaters. AMC is the largest network in the country, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t travel often. If there is no AMC theater nearby, or it just isn’t “your theater,” then it probably isn’t worth signing up – as with going to the gym or any other activity, your membership will likely not be used if you have to go. struggling to take advantage of this ..
A-List presets can support your weekly movie-watching habit, but if you haven’t been to the AMC movie theater for at least a while, do you really see yourself struggling to drive or use public transportation to go less comfortable theatre? More importantly, is the extra time worth saving?
How do you feel about IMAX, 3D and 4D movies?
This is probably not a hindrance for most people, but not every service allows you to see your blockbusters in a premium format like 3D or IMAX, which cinemas usually charge extra for. MoviePass doesn’t allow this. Stubs A-List does, but you’re still limited to AMC Theaters and Sinemia has it covered in any theater. If you don’t care, don’t worry, but if you are struggling to watch a movie in 3D or IMAX, then there may be some utility in getting a subscription at the additional cost. these tickets.