Imagine you are in a dark movie theater watching an action-packed movie you’ve been waiting to see. The smell of buttery flavored popcorn is everywhere. The flavor smells better when you’re at the movie theater, doesn’t it? You just have to eat it. But suddenly the action consumes you. The bright screen in the darkness draws you in so you’re almost an extra in the film itself. The sound vibrates your seat and your heart pounds. You forget that your phone is in your pocket, off.

It’s exciting.

On the other hand, you could watch an action-packed movie at home. There are no buttery smells. The volume is the same as a TV show. And when your phone dings, your natural reaction is to reach for it. You answer the text and notice a new follower on Instagram. 

The movie? Oh yeah–it’s still on…

Going to the movies might not be as convenient as watching a movie at home, but it gets you out of the house, away from distractions and the usual noise in life. 

Take “The Batman,” for example. In the theater, it becomes an experience. It is loud; the screen is huge; the action is intense. 

Another action superhero movie, “Black Widow,” had similar effects. But viewed in a house, it did not add up to the same experience. Even the normal lights in a house can make it harder to see the movie than in the distraction-free theater.

And of course, the commercials in the theater tell you to turn off your phone. And so you do, which means your phone notifications are on hold for those two or three amazing hours.

Watching movies in theaters is better than watching movies at home. Let’s go back to the movies.