Netflix needs to open movie theaters, not malls

Netflix has announced their plan for new in-person experience venues, and it’s one big step in the wrong direction.

Netflix’s newly-announced “experimental entertainment venue” plan makes big promises. Replicas of sets, show-inspired restaurants and IP-specific stores will all be waiting, ready to make “that fan fever dream a reality.”

Yes, the clinically-named Netflix House aims to do a lot, except the one thing that the brand really should be doing, which is winning back its audience.

It’s kind to say that most people (including Netflix subscribers) aren’t necessarily fans of Netflix. The streaming service has made an enemy of the people, joining Max in the ranks of streaming’s digital pariahs. Hence why, when Netflix House was announced, many quickly denounced it as being a glorified mall. 

Netflix is a business that wants all the ease of digitally releasing movies, while still earning the prestige from producing award-winning content. Which is why I simply don’t understand why they don’t make the ultimate move and open their own movie theaters. 

A special Netflix theater subscription

General audiences love to blame Netflix for the death of the movie theater, and that’s fair. When brilliant new movies pique interest only to go straight to streaming platforms, it’s like a shot in the heart of anyone who’s gasping to pay $30 for a movie ticket and popcorn.

Subscription prices have already gone up and are forever shifting. They are the tectonic plates of the streaming landscape, always threatening to send shockwaves into people’s bank accounts. But imagine this: you have the option to pay for a gold-tier membership that will allow you early previews of Netflix movies in Netflix theaters. 

Regular subscribers can still pay for the standard streaming package, but there exists a world in which major cities have one or two special theaters that house new releases and cult classics.

If there was a Netflix theater near me, and I had the option to pay a little extra on top of my subscription in order to watch big releases early on the big screen (maybe even a discount at the concession stand), then I would seriously consider it at the very least.

Netflix spends a lot of time making themselves look like the arch nemesis of theatrical distribution. Why not become a part of it? It was, after all, the first major streaming service to produce a movie that earned an Academy Award nomination (2014’s The Square). There’s skin in the game to be had, and they could play. 

If the platform is so intent on having limited theatrical releases as it is (and holding back on physical media), they should monetize the concept and earn back some modicum of respect from general audiences. 

For many moviegoers, if they had the chance to see the newest Alfonso Cuarón, Martin Scorsese, or David Fincher movie (which, lest we forget, are all big-time directors who’ve had subpar theatrical releases thanks to the streaming model) earlier than other theater chains, they would probably pay up to do so.  

Netflix movie theaters would go hard

By opening a movie theater chain, Netflix could also cash-in on the biggest want from movie-lovers: a good cinematic experience. It doesn’t need to be a chain with thousands of locations — but one or two well-built theaters with good sound and nice picture all underscored by the platform’s signature black-and-red visage might just appeal to many.

You want to sell merch? Sell merch! Limited edition popcorn buckets or t-shirts could still be found behind the counter. Only this time, it’s not in a theme park slash strip mall where one can get a “Bridgerton Breakfast Bash” platter and then go sit in the “Squid Game 3D Experience!”. 

Not only does Netflix’s “mall” experience fail to add anything valuable to its legacy, it’s really a waste of time. Nobody wants themed restaurants or special stores — we already have them. We already have live-action experiences for hundreds of films and TV shows, and guaranteed, they’re better and more considered than whatever this will turn out to be.

Netflix says, “there’s a shop that sells that Hellfire Club T-shirt you’ve always wanted.” There’s not a single Stranger Things fan in the world that doesn’t already have a Hellfire shirt. This is the kind of thing Etsy was invented for. 

Put that mall back where it came from or so help me

I’m no business mogul, and I’ve never opened up a theater chain, so I know I’m probably reaching for the stars on this one. But maybe I’m not. Maybe I’m just asking that a company worth just under $300 billion put a little aside to make something with purpose. 

Oh, you think Barbenheimer would have done just as well on Netflix? Put your money where your mouth is and show us. Get some big screens of your own, and then we’ll talk.

Give us theaters — reclaim the fans and subscribers that once made Netflix one of the biggest forces in entertainment. Don’t give us a heartless, plastic version of an experience that’ll likely be rotted down in 10 years, enjoyed only by the rats that scurry through the graveyard of Squid Game baseball caps. 

Netflix House isn’t a house, it’s a church of cheapness. If you want to expand your brand, there’s at least a half-meaningful way of doing it. Make it elite. Make it a connection between viewers and the thing they’re viewing. 

Make it an investment into the industry you’ve helped build then burn. 

For more film features, check out our guides to the best movies of 2024 so far and all the most bingeworthy TV shows. You can also take a look at the highest-grossing movies of all time to see what did well in theaters.