In a nutshell: MoviePass, the subscription-based movie ticketing service that set the world on fire in 2017 with a membership plan that proved wildly unsustainable, is back from the dead with four new plans to choose from.
For those who have not been keeping score, MoviePass launched way back in 2011 but didn't make waves until six years later when it slashed its price to an impossibly low $9.95 per month. With the plan, members could watch one showing per day at any theater in the US. That was an incredible value – too good, in fact – and it did not take long for the poop to hit the fan.
The losses quickly piled up, prompting the outfit to implement several unpopular policies including surge pricing and limited access to first-run blockbusters. The company also got into a whole heap of trouble with the FTC and in early 2020 right as the Covid-19 pandemic hit, announced it had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Nearly two years later, MoviePass was bought out of bankruptcy by its co-founder. A new service launched in beta in the summer of 2022 and now, it is available nationwide.
The new MoviePass has four plans to choose from starting at $10 per month. Instead of a set number of showings allowed each month, the new plans operate on a credit-based system.
Think of credits as MoviePass currency that can be exchanged for a ticket. A movie's credit value varies based on several factors including the day of the week, the time of day, and the film's demand. For example, getting a ticket to a weekday matinee will cost fewer credits than a ticket for a showing on opening weekend.
The basic plan includes 34 credits which is enough to view 1-3 movies a month, and unused credits roll over for up to two months.
Oddly enough, plan prices are more expensive if you live in southern California or the NY metro area. You get twice as many credits in these areas, but it seems movies will cost more credits as the viewing estimates are the same.
