Back To The Drive-In: Review

17th March 2023

Over the past few years, cinema has changed in immeasurable ways and in some that could never have been predicted. The rise in streaming services have led to a decline in cinema attendances and it seemed like cinema may be on its way out.

Movie theatres haven’t exactly helped themselves either, rising prices of tickets, food and drink has also led to people staying away. Then the pandemic hit and cinemas shut down completely, multiplexes were having the worst time in an unprecedented event and it really started to feel like the final nail in the coffin.

However, with the pandemic an opportunity arose as we were all at home thinking about the things that we took for granted. The comfort of being in our own homes and being able to do what we wanted whenever we wanted started to feel too confining – especially when that was all we had. So, people started to feel the need to reconnect and that’s where drive-in cinema gave the public the one thing that they desperately needed.

Back to The Drive-In is a documentary written and directed by April Wright which documents a time of uncertainty where nobody knew where life was headed. Visiting a number of drive-in theatres across America, director Wright lets the staff at those special cinemas talk about their experiences and what it means to them to still be doing something so unique.

There are still hard times though and although the documentary makes it clear that drive-ins may not necessarily be the future of cinema, it suggests that they shouldn’t be counted out just yet. After all, there are many different venues all done in their own ways.

From special screenings of classic movies with specially baked confectionary and a staff all dressed up for the occasion to drive-ins that try to recreate that vintage feel, it makes cinema feel like an event.

Going back and forth, the audience may start to realise that the drive-in cinema experience is still thriving, but may also be a bit confused as it so often darts from one to the other. However, there are enough stories and unusual encounters to keep things interesting and may remind audiences why they love cinema so much.

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