From “Wicked” spoilers” and 4DX footage, movie viewing is now content

There is a code of conduct for the multiplex experience that is deliberately broadcast just before a movie: When the lights start to dim, we turn off our phones and end any side discussion. However, if shipments of Evil screenings around the country are any indication this code is not being followed.

In the few days since the long-awaited musical film Evil arrived in theaters, it’s been hard to scroll through social media without seeing images — if not entire scenes — of the movie taken from borrowers’ phones. Theater recordings of Evil‘s signature track “Defying Gravity” is all over TikTok. An X user went viral for asking fans to post photos they had taken during the movie. This immediately ignited a conversation among film critics and film people about the lack of theater etiquette in the general public. But is it entirely their fault?

It’s safe to say that the movie marketing tactic of the past few years has taught people how to show up to movies — ready to whip out their phones. That’s not to mention the advent of streaming, plus the years spent mostly inside during the pandemic, that have certainly played a role in the lack of movie-going etiquette.

In the wake of Barbenheimer, movies aren’t just meant to be shared with a room full of people, but with others on social media. The endless merch and product tie-ins that come with IP movies, as well as more organic efforts to dress up for screenings, have made the extremely mundane experience of sitting in a dark room for a few hours “content.” But what happens to going to the movies when it’s all about sharing?

Moviegoing for the ‘gram

In an effort to recoup losses from the pandemic, there have been more and more incentives for people to get off the sofa and back into the cinemas. These innovations certainly enhanced the moviegoing experience beyond snacking on popcorn, ultimately making it much more shareable and post-worthy online.

Since 2019, when AMC offered specially designed R2-D2 popcorn buckets to coincide with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkernews articles have made a huge comeback. Now they are an expected bonus when buying tickets to the biggest releases of the year. Over the past few years, AMC has been selling uniquely designed buckets and cups for busy movies like The Mario Bros. Movie, Renaissance: A Movie by Beyoncéand Dune: Part Two. The last film’s carefully crafted bucket – with an opening resembling the mouth of a sandworm – was so attention-grabbing that it got its own parody song on an episode of Saturday Night Live.

The 4Dx experience is another development in the theater that patrons can’t stop raving about. The immersive format, which involves moving seats and practical effects, gained a lot of word-of-mouth popularity this year for films such as Madame Web, Twistersand Deadpool and Wolverine. However, much of this word of mouth has happened online, especially on TikTok where influencers and firm customers film that they are thrown around and sprayed with water while the film plays.

Outside theaters are studios investing more and more money into extensive marketing campaigns for their liveliest films, the most notable cases being the 2023 hit Barbie and this year’s Evil. This advertising has largely manifested itself in endless brand collaborations, from luxury cars to Crocsall designed to be collected and shared on social media with the film’s hashtag. The ubiquity of marketing suggests that if you don’t see these films in theaters, you’re missing a huge monocultural moment.

Studios have also turned to influencers to deliver early reactions to film. Sometimes these popular X and TikTok users are invited to stage screenings with journalists. In more and more cases – welcome Gladiator II and evil – they get earlier access to these films than some critics.

In the midst of all these orchestrated marketing films, customers seem to be finding unique ways to enhance the movie experience. For example, the “themed dressing” trend feels like a serious expression of film fan culture with organic roots. In the past, this trend has been reserved for films associated with “geek culture”, such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. But “Barbenheimer” made this activity more of an instinctual habit for the average moviegoer. Without the instruction of a studio, everyone got the memo to wear pink to their screenings of Barbie and to a lesser extent black to see Oppenheimer. Since then, marketers have clearly taken notice. This was evident in a promotional video Blake Lively filmed earlier this year for the film about domestic violence It ends with uswhere she encouraged ticket-buyers to “wear their flowers” in theme with the film’s florist protagonist. The same phenomenon occurs at Evil screenings where fans arrive in pink or green clothing, and even full green face paint to mimic the main character Elphaba. If fans weren’t planning on dressing up themselves, the pink and green marketing certainly implied it was a crucial part of the theater experience.

What happens to a common space when it comes to content?

Since Evils premiere, moviegoers have been posting their reactions to the film—along with their themed outfits—on TikTok and X, often directly from the theater. One tendency it is proved popular is a format where a user posts themselves before the movie starts, with a hard cut to their emotional reaction during filming or outside the theater. In other cases, people have filmed himself or that person next to them react to the film as they watch it.

Many of these emotional reactions are real. But the urge to even broadcast in the middle of a movie speaks to a misunderstanding or, in some cases, complete disregard for the sanctity of cinemas. In its worst interpretation, it shows a lack of respect for other people’s theater experiences.

This phenomenon has also become a problem outside the theater. In case of Evilmany users have posted images of the film, including spoilers or key scenes.

Undoubtedly, the studios’ latest embrace of influencers as marketers has something to do with this. In another article The Hollywood Reporterauthor Pamela McClintock said that since “advertising on television is more complicated and expensive,” studios have had to explore different promotional routes, including “TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms.” Likewise, influencers now appear at press junkets, activations and other events, suggesting that moviegoing is also about engagement.

Entertainment reporter Raven Brunner says screenings have contributed to the movie posting problem, as influencers and even critics are encouraged to take photos and post them. “When you go to an early screening, they have the custom banner before the movie starts that you have to take pictures of,” she says.

It’s hard not to draw a line from the posts that circulate after an advanced view – whether from a movie account or a celebrity — for the average moviegoer who takes pictures during Evil. Comedian and author Josh Gondelman believes this problem reveals a tendency for moviegoers to see themselves as “creators” first. As a result, they end up prioritizing what they share with others over their own personal consumption.

“There are so many ways to say, ‘hey, check me out. I’m a person in the world who engages in culture,’ which I think is comfortable,” he says. “But you can do that without doing everyone else’s experience in the theater secondary to your followers’ later.”

Still, he doesn’t think all movie postings come from a shallow, attention-seeking place.

“I always try to be understanding and appreciative of people who want to do a long vlog response to something and just want to share their thoughts on art,” he says.

Still, there are basic rules of behavior in public that people, especially in a younger, more online generation, struggle with. The last few years since the pandemic spent mostly inside watching movies on streamers probably didn’t help.

At the very least, these inevitable spoilers and leaked scenes show an enthusiasm about movies (or at least certain titles). Perhaps there is hope that in a world where young people have been influenced to watch movies again, they can also be influenced to turn off their phones.