Studio 35 has been a Clintonville staple since 1938 at 3055 Indianola Ave. Credit: Courtesy of Studio 35.
For decades, going to the movies was a college weekend staple, but streaming platforms have changed viewing habits, making the couch hard a tough competitor.
A local theater manager and a media expert say Gen Z isn’t abandoning moviegoing altogether. Instead, they’re becoming more selective, choosing screenings that feel culturally relevant or communal.
At Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse, assistant manager Tyler Campbell said he has noticed a shift in who has been showing up to screenings in recent years.
“Our clientele has gotten a little younger, it seems,” Campbell said. “I do think there’s some appetite from a younger audience to experience film in a theatrical setting, which is surprising to me.”
However, he said that appetite does not necessarily mean younger audiences are attending more often.
“I think younger people are seeing fewer movies per year, but prioritize the theatrical experience when they are watching them,” Campbell said.
Attendance among college-aged audiences is particularly strong during late-night screenings, Campbell said.
“It really is title-specific and whatever resonates most with that demographic,” Campbell said. “Recent screenings, like Charli XCX’s mockumentary ‘The Moment’ and last year’s ‘[A] Minecraft Movie’ drew a lot of college crowds.”
He said theaters like Studio 35 are no longer positioning themselves as direct competitors to streaming platforms. Instead, he said they’re trying to offer something different.
“I think it’s an evolvement,” Campbell said. “Four or five years ago, I would’ve said absolutely it’s in deep competition, but now it seems that there’s enough real estate for both to exist at once.”
Part of that evolution includes emphasizing elements that cannot be replicated at home, he said.
“We have tried to bring talent to film screenings, whether it’s actors or directors, something you can’t do at home,” Campbell said. “You can’t replicate the physical experience from a quality perspective.”
Scott Campbell, professor and Rinehart Chair in Mediated Communication in Ohio State’s School of Communication, said the decline in theater attendance among Gen Z is tied to lifestyle changes, particularly those shaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic established much more digital routines,” Campbell said. “It changed how people lived their lives.”
Campbell said that with constant notifications and digital connectivity, sustained focus becomes harder to maintain.
“We have a finite amount of attention,” he said, stating that theatrical experiences demand longer, uninterrupted engagement than scrolling through social media.
While theaters still offer value, Campbell said they are competing with the broader convenience of digital life.
“In terms of people’s time it competes, but in terms of the media experience you get from it, it is not competing — it has different things to offer,” he said.
Cost remains a significant barrier for students deciding whether to see a film in theaters, Tyler Campbell said.
“The overall concern is very real,” Tyler Campbell said. “It is expensive, especially if you’re coming with a family or friends, and those concerns are going to be heightened for students who don’t have disposable income or have student loans.”
Scott Campbell also said attracting younger audiences comes down to clarifying what makes the in-person experience worth the investment.
“It’s a choice to invest your time and money,” he said. “Honing the message about what makes them unique to offer and asking people to support them at the community level.”
According to Tyler Campbell, nostalgia has emerged as a draw, particularly for older films that Gen Z may not have originally seen in theaters.
“I was nervous that there wasn’t going to be a big appetite for going to the movies for older titles, but we found that they do want to experience what people deem as classics,” Campbell said.
As streaming continues to dominate everyday viewing habits, Scott Campbell said theaters may need to lean into something beyond convenience.
“They can’t get people to stop streaming but they are going to lean into a more local, community connection,” Campbell said. “I think people are somewhat starved for local community connection.”
Long-term, he said theaters will need to better understand what motivates younger audiences if they hope to maintain relevance in an increasingly digital media landscape.
“The young people coming up in this environment don’t have the memories at the theater that other generations do,” Campbell said. “But the theater experience is valuable and is worth keeping around.”