R.I.P. MoviePass

Back in August I wrote a lengthy post about MoviePass and my experience with them and their extensive laundry list of problems.

I'll save you some time and summarize the post— basically the MoviePass service started out as a great deal, offering users the chance to see THIRTY films a month for the low, low price of just $9.95. It was too good to be true though, as the company began hemorrhaging money at an alarming rate. In an effort to stay afloat, they began placing a series of frustration restrictions on the program, each one worse than the last. Eventually it became nearly impossible to actually use the card.

Customers began canceling their cards in droves, including my Movie-Going Pal, who ironically was the one tho talked me into signing up for the thing in the first place! I decided to stick with them though, in hopes they'd get their act together and finally settle on a decent package.

Alas, it wasn't to be.

Sometime in August, MoviePass changed their program yet again, offering a paltry THREE films a month for $9.95. This was a far cry from their original thirty a month! I did the math and figured that under these new rules I'd save about $14 bucks each month, which was barely worth the trouble and effort.

As if that wasn't enough, under this new setup you couldn't see just ANY three films— only certain ones from MoviePass' approved list. Most days there was nothing on their list I was interested in seeing— even for free! Other times the weirdo indie art house films they offered weren't playing within a hundred miles of me.

Despite these restrictions, I was able to see my three allotted films in September, but Lordy, they didn't make it easy.

Then October rolled around, and I'll be goddamned if they didn't change their fraking rules YET AGAIN! Their list of available movies went from six down to TWO! Two measly films to choose from each day. The movies changed each day, but still... what a terrible and unsatisfying setup.

To make things even worse, they also started restricting the SHOW TIMES as well! For example, on October 18th I could have seen First Man, but only at 11am or 10pm! My, what incredibly convenient times! I'd have to sneak out of work to see the 11am showing, and the 10pm one wouldn't have been over until 1am! Jesus Christ, I can't stay out that late on a work night! I'd never be able to get up in the morning.

It went on like that throughout the whole month of October— each weekend I'd look at their app and one of three things would happen: I didn't want to see either of the movies on their list, the films weren't playing in my city, or they were only allowing me to see them at inconvenient times.

I decided I'd give them one final chance on October 28, and if I couldn't use the card then, I was canceling. I opened up the app and amazingly there was nothing listed for my city. Neither of the two films they offered that day were playing anywhere near me.

As a result, I wasn't able to use their stinkin' card even ONCE during the entire month of October! I literally paid them $10 for nothing! I decided I'd finally had enough and canceled. I didn't want to, but they left me no choice. I can't be paying them for nothing.

So that's that for MoviePass. It was an interesting idea, but a terrible business model that just couldn't sustain itself. See you in hell, MoviePass!