MoviePass, the Movie Subscription Service Too Good to Be True, Officially Shuts Down

Pour one out for a real one. MoviePass, the subscription theater service that basically charged $10 a month for limitless movie-going excursions, is officially shutting down, the company announced on Friday. It's not the most shocking ending for the troubled service, seeing as it doesn't really make financial sense to charge so little for a subscription, but it's still sad news for those of us who enjoyed the early perks of MoviePass and somehow watched Ready Player One and Annihilation three times in theaters (aka me). 

MoviePass attempted to revive its struggling business model earlier this year, bringing back unlimited movies complete with different tiers of membership -- and price -- to coerce moviegoers to stay. Even so, it wasn't a sustainable model: When the cost of movie tickets already clock in at like $12, a $20 per month plan is still going to bleed out a company. And it did. 

MoviePass then tried to limit customers' access to popular movies, but why even have a movie subscription if you can't see the movies you actually want to see -- like Natalie Portman in a sci-fi thriller about a paranormal, shimmery Area X in Florida (yes, I enjoyed Annihilation).

A press release distributed by Helios and Matheson, MoviePass's parent company, said "MoviePass notified its subscribers that it would be interrupting the MoviePass service for all its subscribers effective September 14, 2019, because its efforts to recapitalize MoviePass have not been successful to date." The press release went on to say that the company is "unable to predict if or when the MoviePass service will continue."

MoviePass was a dream come true for enthusiastic and money-tight moviegoers like myself. It was there for me when I whooped through Black Panther, cry-laughed through Game Night, and yup, watched Annihilation for the third time (I mean why not, it was basically free!). Thanks for the memories and movies, MoviePass. You will be missed. 

h/t: The Verge

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