Rated F—for Financial Strain
Why Is It So Expensive to Go to the Movies Now?
by Avery Anderson
It’s the summer of sequels, prequels, and remakes. This July alone, Jurassic World: Dominion Rising, Fantastic Four, and Superman: Legacy are hitting theaters with enough CGI to power a small city. And for many families, seeing all three would feel like… well, the GDP of a small city.
Let’s break it down: In 1985, the average movie ticket cost $3.55, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO). Take a family of four to three summer blockbusters? That’s $42.60 total. Reasonable, even with a jumbo popcorn.
In 2025? That same outing would run you a cool $192.96 at today’s national average ticket price of $16.08—before you even smell the popcorn.
And that’s assuming you only buy tickets. Add a $10 large popcorn, an $8 soda, maybe a box of Raisinets, and the total cost edges toward luxury vacation territory.
Blockbusters got bigger—and so did the bills
It’s not just inflation. The moviegoing experience has become a battleground of ever-escalating amenities: reclining seats, Dolby surround, IMAX screens, D-BOX chairs that punch you in the back during action scenes. These upgrades come at a price.
“The entire experience has been premiumized,” said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros., in an interview with The A.V. Club. “Maybe it would grow again if people didn’t feel like they had to spend half their life savings to see a movie with their family, especially if that movie is just okay.”
The sentiment is echoed by frustrated moviegoers online. One Reddit user, posting to r/inflation, wrote:
“It’s absolutely insane that it would cost me $80 to go see a movie with the wife and kids in the middle of a weekday afternoon.”
And it’s not just ticket prices. Theater owners rely heavily on concessions for profits—meaning popcorn has a markup that would make Silicon Valley blush. The National Association of Concessionaires has estimated that up to 85 percent of concession revenue is pure profit. Movie theater soda is one of the most expensive liquids per ounce outside of printer ink.
Memberships, midweek deals—and a bit of math
To make prices more palatable, major chains have rolled out subscription models like AMC’s A‑List (roughly $20 per month). Midweek discounts are catching on too—AMC’s new 50%-off Wednesdays launch this July.
But that doesn’t help the family who just wants to see the new Fantastic Four on a Friday night.
Let’s say you do take your family of four. Three blockbusters. $16.08 per ticket. That’s $192.96, not counting gas, parking, or snacks. That same series of movie nights in 1985? Around $42.
Adjusted for inflation, those 1985 tickets would be about $119 today—still a far cry from what most families now spend. In other words, even when accounting for economic shifts, we’re paying more. A lot more.
The takeaways
- Movie ticket prices have quadrupled since the 1980s.
- A family of four could see three movies in the ’80s for ~$40. Today, it’s closer to $200.
- Concessions now represent the majority of a theater’s profit—and are priced accordingly.
- Studios and theaters know it’s a problem. But with ballooning budgets and shrinking margins, there’s no easy fix.
So if you’re planning to catch all three summer tentpoles this July, plan accordingly. Maybe skip the soda. Or the third movie. Or bring your own Raisinets. (We won’t tell.)
Because as Superman prepares to save the world—again—it’s clear who’s not getting rescued: your wallet.