My first experience back at a movie theater since the beginning of the pandemic was at The Athena Cinema with some friends a couple of weeks ago to see The Green Knight. And honestly, the bold and brightly lit marquee that read “Dev Patel Holding a Large Axe” was about my biggest takeaway for the film.
Back when the trailer for The Green Knight came out, it seemed like it had all of the potential in the world. Some of that did come through in the final product - the soundtrack, the cinematography and, of course, Dev Patel were all fantastic. However, the movie was ultimately a letdown due to the plot’s inability to simply hold up or make any semblance of sense for the audience. It was choppy, vague and not in any kind of rewarding ways and, unfortunately, a well made film can’t withstand poor writing.
Which is a shame because in almost every other way from the visuals to the performances, The Green Knight is relatively stunning. It’s just missing its core. All that said, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had in a very long time. Not because of the film itself, but because I was finally able to get back into a theater. There was definitely a fair amount of Green Knight bashing on the walk home, but a lot of what I really wanted to talk about had to do with being back in that atmosphere.
Many theaters had already begun to reopen a few months ago, it just ended up being something I hadn’t been able to do throughout the summer. Once I finally did, though, I realized how much of a void had been left in my movie viewing experiences. Streaming services and watching from home has gotten a lot of people, myself included, through the past year and a half but sitting on your living room couch just isn’t the same as a trip to the local movie theater.
Being in person at a theater is all about having that shared, immersive experience. Not only do you get to see a film on the big screen, but you get that while also feeling like you’re part of a community of people - especially if you’re going to see something with a fervent fanbase. When the lights dim and the screen grows bright, there’s nothing else quite like it. There’s no distractions, nothing to do but just sit back and enjoy with everyone else around you.
And while theaters don’t seem to instantly come to mind when thinking about places that are important to a community, they’re just as vital to consider. In the same vein of supporting local restaurants and businesses throughout the pandemic, and with variants ominously approaching from the horizon, theaters need the support as well now more than ever.
They're incredibly important institutions to popular culture and ones that were already threatened even before the pandemic due to the rise of streaming services. With theaters back open for the time being, though, now might be the best opportunity to get out and pay one a visit. So pick out a playtime, grab some popcorn and enjoy a movie while also helping to keep theaters alive and thriving.
No matter what, from the once in a lifetime cultural events like watching Avengers: Endgame with a crowd that sounds like it’s at a football game to the power to make bad films like The Green Knight at least an enjoyable experience, I guarantee you’ll leave feeling a little more satisfied than telling Netflix that you’re still watching.
Jackson Horvat is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by tweeting him at @horvatjackson.
