By Veronica Quattrocchio, Third Year, Economics and Management
Streaming makes it easy to watch a movie whenever and however we want. So why go to the cinema? After watching Project Hail Mary (2026) with other students at the Winston Theatre, I found an answer in the audience around me. Their laughter, silence and emotion created a connection that shaped the way I experienced that film, going beyond entertainment itself.
'Cinema is different. Young adults like the focused experience that cinema provides: only 14% want exhibitors to be more flexible about audience behaviour, such as allowing talking or use of smartphones. Young adults are also more likely than all adults to describe past cinema visits as a social outing and as an opportunity to connect with friends and family.'
These are the results of a survey commissioned through the British Film Institute Research and Statistics Fund and conducted in partnership with YouGov, whose report was published on the 11th of May earlier this year. It is not unusual if you have found these unexpected, considering the stereotypes surrounding the youngest generations and the generally high screen time which we are used to.
The comforts of streaming platforms are undoubtedly tempting: we get to choose when to watch and whether to sprawl on our couch, to stop the movie and text on our phones, to take toilet breaks and eat our favorite snacks mindlessly. All of this without paying for any additional ticket.
At first glance, the counterpart may not seem equally attractive: it’s enough to consider the noise of the eating, moving and sometimes even chatting audience, the additional cost for less comfortable seats, and the obstacle of our attention spans that have been worn down by the constant, fleeting dopamine hits we get from social media. Still, we must acknowledge that the cinema experience is strongly perceived as adding value to the movie itself, given that it is able to beat this kind of inertia.
The experience of watching Project Hail Mary (2026) at the Winston Theatre was what reminded me exactly of that added value. The Richmond Building was hosting a free movie night. I went there with some friends, without any expectations besides the enjoyment of a movie I'd wanted to watch for so many months, since its release in March. But what I got was beyond just entertainment.
I did not see this coming.
At first, I was impressed by the intimate atmosphere of the theatre and the large number of people attending. We got seats close to the centre and I asked my friends if they knew the length of the movie. 156 minutes. Quite long, to be honest.
Then, the staff asked us if we wanted subtitles, which we did as for many of us, our native language was not English. And this is another reason why I felt so surprised when during the course of the movie I felt an unusual connection with the strangers surrounding me: without any verbal communication, I could feel we were enjoying each other’s company. What an unique coincidence, and an emotional one, that Project Hail Mary is exactly about this.
In the movie, Grace and Rocky begin as two beings who cannot speak each other’s
language. They have to figure out how to communicate and work together, but what stayed with me was their genuine longing for companionship and their growing care for each other. I found that unexpectedly moving: the patience of trying to understand someone, and the relief of discovering that you are no longer alone.
And my perception was that a lot of the other students surrounding me were feeling the same, as I could hear them laughing at the same jokes, crying for the same deep and intense scenes, and it was an ethereal experience to hold my breath and releasing it in synchrony with so many other people.
That evening was special. Living in the moment for more than two hours straight, without any breaks or distractions, is incredibly hard to find nowadays. I hope that everyone who doesn’t believe in going to the cinema will be invited by some friends and gifted with the opportunity of changing their mind, or at least be reminded of the power of the cinema experience, as it happened to me.
Featured Image: IMDB
Have you had any specific experiences that have reminded you of the importance of going to the cinema?
