Carson Burch ’27 is considering a government major. He likes reading about historical and current events, as well as dinosaurs. Contact him at ceburch@wm.edu.
The views expressed in the article are the author’s own.
The release of “Project Hail Mary” was a special deal for me, mostly because, for the first time in my life, I got to go see a movie in theaters without having a single member of my family around. A group of friends and I went to see the film together at the local Movie Tavern, and we found it to be worthwhile.
The film itself was a wonderful experience, and I encourage everyone to go see it. One of my friends wrote a review on Letterboxd, which I happen to largely agree with. To summarize his point: The film hits all of the right emotional beats at all the right moments, making it one of the best blockbuster films to have been released in quite a while. This more than makes up for the lack of innovation in the film’s script, as it manages to effectively utilize every element of its story.
However, I did not write this piece solely as a movie review. That’s best left to my colleagues in the Variety section. I wrote it to plead with the students at the College of William and Mary: See movies with friends more, either in a theater or on campus.
The decline of the movie theater is a much-discussed phenomenon and a real shame. Lots of films (like “Project Hail Mary”) are best enjoyed in the atmosphere of the cinema. The big screen, the immersive sound and the taste of butter-slathered popcorn mixed with the fizzle of Coca-Cola are all part of the cinematic experience, and they elevate the sensation of movie watching greatly.
This is combined with a communal element; although no one talks, sharing popcorn with friends and laughing along at the same jokes is certainly a bonding experience. Not talking or being able to access cell phones during the movie is, if anything, better, as it forces you as the viewer to pay attention, enabling better discussions about what you saw on the way back (much as my friends and I had on the bus ride back to campus).
However, just because going to a theater is the best way to experience movies doesn’t make it the most easily doable. Being short on cash is part of the college student experience, and tickets on average cost over $15 a pop. This means that some students might not have this available as an option. However, I can propose my own alternatives.
In my dorm, I have a set-up with an old TV linked to a DVD player, as well as a microwave and popcorn popper. I often have friends over to watch movies and TV shows using DVDs from either Earl Gregg Swem Library or my personal collection, and it’s wonderful. It’s probably one of my favorite parts of my college experience. If you have an old DVD player and TV or monitor laying around your house, you could ask your parents if you could bring it next semester. It’ll take some effort to set up, but if you love watching movies and enjoy the social experience, you won’t regret it.
Streaming movies using various services is also an option in 2026. While watching movies or shows on a computer is not preferable, especially in a large group setting, it still is a way to enjoy them. If you have a monitor, you could connect the two devices, solving the screen issue more effectively and enabling better group-watching.
Many clubs on campus also watch movies either regularly or sporadically. Maybe checking out a few to see if they’re for you and fit your schedule might be worthwhile.
The important thing is to engage in these activities as part of a group. I’ve written before about how so many modern problems could be solved if we interacted with each other again, and I think it’d be a shame if film-watching became a solely individual experience with no communal aspect. It might be a slight improvement over scrolling through brain rot on TikTok, since you’re taking the time to commit attention to a piece of media, but it might not be much of one.
Once you find your group of people, though, don’t forget to watch a movie together — it can be a bonding experience just as good as any other.
