Martin Scorsese, the filmmaking legend behind Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, and Killers of the Flower Moon, is done with movie theaters. And it’s not because he hates popcorn butter or has beef with reclining seats. The man who’s dedicated his life to preserving the magic of cinema has decided he’s better off watching films at home. Why? Because moviegoers won’t shut up or switch off their phones.
According to veteran film critic Peter Travers, who shared the story on his site The Travers Take, Scorsese’s retreat from the theater experience came down to one painful truth: people suck at watching movies in public now.
“Once, in deep conversation with Martin Scorsese, I asked the maestro why he doesn’t see movies in theaters anymore and he went all Raging Bull about audiences who babble on phones during the movie, leave to order snacks and vats of soda, and keep up a noise level loud enough to drown out the actors,” Travers wrote. When Travers tried to tell him that “we couldn’t keep our mouths shut when we were kids”, Marty didn’t flinch. “Yeah, maybe,” he replied, “but when we talked it was always about the movie and the fun we had chewing over the details.”
That quote should be on the wall of every movie theater across the globe. If you’ve stepped into a cinema lately, there’s a good chance you’ve sat near someone who thinks their TikTok feed is more important than the film. Post-COVID, viewing habits have changed. And not for the better.
Scorsese, who once passionately defended cinema as an art form, famously took a swing at Marvel movies in 2019. “I don’t think they’re cinema,” he told Empire, before doubling down with an op-ed in The New York Times. “What’s not there is revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger. Nothing is at risk,” he wrote. Fans were furious. But looking back, was he wrong?
And now, according to World of Reel, the man who once fought to keep movie theaters alive has a private screening room in his New York townhouse, filled with vintage posters, reels of film, and a huge movie library. He doesn’t need your overpriced theater snacks or your chatter. He’s watching Hereditary in the peace and quiet of his home.
At recent screenings of A Minecraft Movie, things got Lord of the Flies real fast. Kids threw popcorn, climbed on seats, and brought actual chicken into the auditoriums. Police were reportedly called to some showings. Imagine getting arrested at a Minecraft movie for throwing around popcorn.
Some say that this kind of chaos shows that kids are finally excited about going to the movies again. But, honestly, there’s a difference between enthusiasm and full-on anarchy.
AMC in the U.S. is trying to lure people back with half-off tickets every Wednesday. It’s a solid move, but is it enough? The real problem isn’t pricing, it’s the experience. If audiences can’t respect the screen or each other, why would anyone bother leaving their couch?
Scorsese might be old-school, but he’s not wrong. If theaters want people like him and us to come back, something needs to be done. We need audience control.
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