For decades, if you wanted to watch new releases, the cinema was your only option, unless you were willing to wait six months for a VHS or DVD release.

Over the years, however, that window has drastically shrunk. Tonight, I watched Masters of the Universe on Amazon Prime, a film that only landed in cinemas on June 5th this year. It’s an excellent movie that suffered from poor critic reviews and struggled to pull in decent foot traffic. Yet, despite strong audience reactions and the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed it on the big screen, it makes me wonder: how many people passed on buying a cinema ticket simply because they knew it would hit Amazon Prime Video so quickly?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad the film is finding an audience on streaming. It gives me hope that we might actually get the teased sequel. But had the theatrical window been longer, would more people have ventured out to experience it on the big screen and support the cinema industry?

The core issue stems from the pandemic, which dramatically reduced release windows. During lockdowns, many films originally planned for theatrical release bypassed cinemas entirely.

While studios naturally need to make their projects financially viable and streaming plays a massive role in that, some films are sleeper hits. They don’t always draw massive crowds in week one; they need time to breathe and build word-of-mouth momentum.

It often feels as though certain studios release films in cinemas purely out of obligation. Amazon MGM and Sky Originals are prime examples: limited theatrical runs where the ultimate goal is simply feeding content to a streaming platform. While understandable given the high cost of film production and the desire for fast returns, this model actively undermines the traditional cinema business. If theatrical windows were given more room to breathe, cinemas would undoubtedly see a boost.

Re-watching Masters of the Universe at home was fun, but it pales in comparison to the big-screen experience with its superior sound and immersive atmosphere. Personally, I view streaming as a space for films that either bypassed cinemas entirely (as not deemed worthy of a cinema release) or were enjoyable on the big screen and are worth a second watch.

Short cinema release windows also clash with everyday life. People are busy. Missing a film in the cinema often isn’t a lack of interest, but a lack of time. During a recent two-week holiday, I returned to find that some films had already come and gone, leaving a very tight opportunity to catch some that had already been playing a couple of weeks.

While release windows have widened slightly since the height of the pandemic, they still aren’t long enough. Everything in moderation: six months might be too long for the modern era, but a mandatory three-month theatrical minimum should be the industry standard. A film wouldn’t need to play in theaters for that entire duration, but a mandatory waiting period would preserve the value of the theatrical experience. After three months, a film could move to digital rental, followed by subscription streaming shortly after.

I appreciate that licensing makes this complicated, but unless meaningful action is taken to protect the theatrical window, we risk losing our cinemas altogether. Currently streaming can make cinema optional.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Please comment below.