MoviePass Review. Unlimited Movies a Month for $10 - Hard or Soft?
MoviePass promises a buffet type deal for going to the movies. $9.99 a month allows you to see one movie in a qualifying movie theater per day. It sounds too good to be true. Is it finally time to watch Star Wars three times to catch every little detail without breaking the bank? Let's find out.
MoviePass' new plan was revealed about two months ago, with many skeptics, including AMC, who threatened to sue them over this, stating that they would not be able to pay them for all the tickets they would provide. It does sound a bit ludicrous. Depending on the theater, you could go to one movie in a month and already have savings. Some AMC and specialized theaters, like the ArcLight, are more than $10 a ticket. So how is MoviePass making money? Your information. They believe that selling your viewing habits to companies, they can make up the overspend.
I signed up for the service at the beginning of September. It took two weeks to finally receive my membership. MoviePass sends you a MasterCard you use to buy tickets. It's a simple premise. It guarantees that no participating theater can accommodate you, as they all accept MasterCard. You install an Android or iOS app, enter your card information, and look at what's around. There are no restrictions on new releases, I saw Lego Ninjago on premiere date with no problems. The limitation is that you need to use the card to pay for tickets at the theater, so you can't buy tickets in advance, unless you are at the theater. Within 100 yards to be exact, if you are too far, the app won't let you "check in" for tickets. Once you are close enough, you check in, and it loads your card with funds, allowing you to make the purchase.
Amazingly enough, it works. I checked in less than a minute before making my purchase, and it worked. There is no wait time. I was amazed that it worked that fast. I just handed my card to the cashier, and got my tickets. On face value, they follow through with their promise. There is an extra however. I don't know exactly how much money is loaded into the card. I wasn't able to find this online either, and MoviePass doesn't disclose it, I'm sure so that people like me don't find out and use it to their benefit. I went to three different showings with my wife. Two of the showings were $6 a ticket, one was $7 a ticket. I handed my MoviePass card expecting to pay the difference, but it payed for the entire thing all three times! It was awesome. I am hoping to go to more expensive showings soon, and will update this once I find the limit.
If you go to more than one movie a month, MoviePass gets a Hard Recommendation from me. This is even with the premise that it only covers one ticket per visit. I am certain that over time, they will change it so that it only covers one ticket, but for now...hop on it! Find a place that has cheap tickets, and you could go with your significant other and not pay any more! For those single people, imagine the savings on movie night dates! Sign up at the main MoviePass sign linked on the logo above. Take advantage while you can.
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