By: Johnny Cruz

For the past couple of years, since Covid, movie theater viewers have been on a slow decline. In 2025, the percentage of consistent movie viewers around the U.S dropped from 39% to 17% in the US. Many movie theaters have suffered from bankruptcy this past year.

Just 4 days ago, New Jersey said goodbye to one of its most iconic movie theaters, The Regal Cross Keys. The theater opened its doors in 1994 to the public. It quickly became a place for people on the south side of Jersey to watch and enjoy films. Unfortunately, the theater took a hard hit from the pandemic, and business never got back to how it was before, a common story for a lot of theaters in the United States. The closing of Regal Cross Keys shocked many people within the community, as it was an extremely popular place for all people around there to go.

Cole Kennedy, an undecided first-year student at HFU, shares a big passion for movies. When asking him about the impact of theaters and the importance of them, Kennedy stated, “Going out to the movies is a wonderful way to connect with somebody, and with the movie. Especially if both you and the person like the movie. Movie theaters remind me of my first date with my girlfriend. Both of us were able to help each other watch and learn about the movie together if that makes sense. It is a different atmosphere in a movie theater compared to watching a movie at home.” 

Regal Cross Keys is not the only theater-loss business. A big movie theater company called Cineworld was forced to shut down 39 theaters over the years due to a lack of viewership. The closing of many theaters has led to many talks on whether movies should remain open.  

CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, called movie theaters “Outdated” and said that most people nowadays would want to sit at home and watch a movie rather than go out. On December 5th, 2025, Sarandos made a bid for Netflix to own Warner Bros production for 82.7 billion dollars. Which, in short, would kill the idea of going out to watch a movie. Decreasing viewership percentages for many theaters all around the United States. 

Dr. Ficociello, faculty advisor for the HFU film club and English professor, had a different outlook and opinion on the importance of movie theaters: “I am not surprised that someone from a streaming service is saying this. It is because he wants people to stay home and stream his service so that he makes a profit. It is important to still have theaters because they are communal spaces. Not a lot of people consume theater content by themselves, but with someone else. It is important for us people to have social spaces to talk about cultural objects like films in the theater.”

Many actors and directors have expressed the importance of theaters. Famous director Christopher Nolan, who has made popular movies such as Interstellar and The Dark Knight, adores movie theaters and the big screen experience. Stating movie theaters to be a “Vital Part of Social Life.”  

  As a fellow movie lover, theaters are important to the vibe films give to people. Theaters find a way to transport you into the world of a movie. Many people still believe that theaters play a pivotal role in cinema and the production of movies. With many blockbuster movies coming out in 2026, such as The Odyssey and Avengers: Doomsday, theaters around the world will try to get back up to pace in viewership pre 2020 Covid. 

Johnny Cruz is a first-year student who is majoring in Criminal Justice. He reads, writes, and has a deep love for movies. Johnny will be graduating from Holy Family University in the Spring of 2029 and will be pursuing a career in law.