In moments of joy or despair, cinema has long been the alchemist, capturing the brilliant essence of every array of human emotions. But if movies are the magic spell, then theaters are the magic wand, and one can simply not light a spark without the other. However, as the rise of streaming platforms rewrites the rules of engagement, the age-old ritual of venturing out to the cinema is under siege.

With a dazzling array of shows and films just a click away, the question looms: can these digital giants truly trample the theater experience? Comedians Andrew Schulz and Brian Simpson join the fray to offer their take on this cinematic showdown.

Hollywood and cinema, as a result of being tied at the hip, have gone through quite the rollercoaster ride in the past years. With how the pandemic had the theaters empty for years, it took more than a Barbie, an Oppenheimer, and Deadpool & Wolverine to get things back in order. Despite the peaks and valleys, Andrew Schulz and Brian Simpson believe that theaters will forever prevail owing to the "communal viewing experience" that they provide, as per their discussion on the Flagrant podcast.

There is no denying that since the overwhelming overtake of streaming platforms and their transition into popular content vending machines, getting a full house has been an uphill battle. However, for the sake of witnessing if, for instance, the Tom Cruise cut or the Christopher Nolan shot, has left the other person with a gaping mouth, people will still ring in. 

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Theaters going out of business, however, would not simply be another business avenue shutting down, it would quite literally be the end of an era.

To say that cinema as it is will cease to exist if theaters shut down as a result of the lack of engagement is quite a thorny statement to make as masterful shots can still be captured, phenomenal actors can still commit, and revered accolades can still be given, Netflix's strong foot at the Oscars is proof of the same. However, the deep hole that will be dug by robbing the generation of more phenomenons such as Barbenheimer would not be short of crime.

The reason why the next movie that rolls in the theaters is important is not because of the star that will feature in it or the director that has devoted his past years to it, but essentially why it means what it means to the people that will tune in. And everyone who has understood this has enjoyed the most savory box office collection.

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Do you think theaters will go out of business anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below.