Buying a ticket to see a new release is also a pass to the experience of the movie theater—where the smell of freshly popped popcorn fills the air; displays of candy, nachos, and slushies surround cashiers; enthusiastic audience members talk about what they enjoyed and disliked about the movie; vibrant and colorful posters hang throughout the building; and claw machines play music similar to an ice–cream truck. Before you sit in the leather seats with a bucket of buttered popcorn and start the screening, you don’t know whether you will love the movie or if you’ll hate it. Regardless of how we view films after watching them, it’s always true that when you enter a movie theater, you set foot into a new world, if only for two hours. And sometimes, a new world means a new wardrobe.
This summer, I went to my local mall with my friends to watch Inside Out 2. On TikTok, there were videos circulating of people dressing up as the characters in the movie. My friends immediately wanted to take part in the trend, so we dressed up as Anger, Sadness, Fear, and Joy. When the day came to see the movie, I stepped into the theater in my purple outfit. Despite being in a full theater, my group of friends and one other group were the only ones who were dressed for the occasion. This was in total opposition to when I watched Barbie the summer before. During the blockbuster battle between Barbie and Oppenheimer, there were pops of pink and “Kenough” hoodies worn by moviegoers; there were even suits and sunglasses worn by Oppenheimer’s audience members. These were not the only movies that people have dressed up for recently: The Minions: The Rise of Gru and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movies encouraged moviegoers to show up to the theater wearing suits and concert attire.
Over the past couple of years, the experience of going to a movie theater has been forgotten following the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of streaming services. In fact, movie theater attendance and revenue has been incredibly low in the past couple of years. Admittedly, I have only gone to the movie theater five times since the beginning of the pandemic. Don’t get me wrong—I am not advocating against streaming services. In fact, I believe that they are amazing ways for consumers to access film and television frequently.
But going to a theater is an experience unlike any other. You are completely immersed in the movie because there is total darkness, silence, and limited distractions. The large movie screens demonstrate the incredible cinematography by directors and the emotions of the characters. Seats being filled by friends and family (and even strangers) result in a heightened watching experience. I laughed harder, cried more, and felt the tension in the room alongside fellow audience members. While movies are able to convey their messages and cinematography on any screen, sitting in a full theater and experiencing them with a group of people who are watching them for the first time together is an unmatched experience.
I believe that through dressing up for movie releases, there can be increased support for movie theaters and the box office. People are encouraged to wear clothes that match the color scheme of the movie or resemble their favorite characters and take photos with their friends and family. In other words, it makes moviegoing a special bonding experience. It’s a way for moviegoers to celebrate new releases at the box office and spend time watching movies with their loved ones; a casual event is made to be more memorable and momentous.
When people talk about dressing up for movies, many people may think about Barbie and Oppenheimer. Inside Out 2 may not be what comes to mind, and there are many potential reasons for that. Perhaps it was the competitive nature between Barbie and Oppenheimer that people used as an opportunity to dress up for the movies as a sign of support for one film over the other, especially considering that they were targeted at a similar age demographic, even if they were targeted at different groups within that age demographic. The movies that came out around the same time as Inside Out 2 (such as The Watchers and Tuesday) did not appeal to family–friendly and younger audiences, so there was no competition to be had. Plus, kids and their parents, the primary audience for Inside Out 2, may not have social media accounts or be active, and may not be able to see trends or post about their outfits. Regardless, it meant that this trend for dressing up was underappreciated for this specific movie—but hopefully, in the future, it won’t be.
The next time you are thinking about going to the movies, consider dressing up with fellow moviegoers. Maybe you can see other people who are dressed up as well and watch the same new release together. You can make some new friends. When you leave the movie theater, the smell of popcorn leaves and displays of delicious snacks, audience members chatting, vibrant posters, and claw machine music fade away. What doesn’t, though, are the memories of getting to see an anticipated movie while dressed for the occasion.
