Cinema as a place of rest
Ilustration by Alex Holmes
by Lucy Carter
Have you ever walked out of a cinema in something of a daze, having almost forgotten that there was a world outside of the one you’d been watching for the past two hours? There’s a brief moment of confusion — maybe the light has changed while you’ve been tucked away in a screening room, or a thunderstorm has been and gone. For that brief moment, your own life, your worries and concerns, were muted.
I’m good at overthinking. If there were a formal qualification process for becoming an Official Overthinker, I’d pass it with flying colors; I’d have the certificate framed and hung on the wall. When my mind’s running at double speed, it can help to have a distraction in place. Thankfully, I’ve found an ideal solution for my examining brain in cinema screening rooms.
Cinema therapy
Watching films may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of trying to remedy stress, but many believe that cinema can be more than just a way to while away the hours.
Cinema therapy, sometimes referred to as cinemedicine or neurocinema, is an under-researched area, and there’s some disparity around what its exact process is. According to Sacilotto et al.’s 2022 study, patients with a health condition, physical or mental, go through four stages during their treatment: identification, catharsis, insight, and universalization.
Birgit Wolz, a cinema therapy advocate, says there are multiple ways that patients can benefit from watching films. Laughter and tears can provide catharsis, and being given an outside perspective on a problem similar to their own allows for a more nuanced perception of their behavior and thought patterns.
The majority of people are not familiar with any interpretation of cinema therapy, but even if you’re not watching a film with a therapeutic goal in mind, the positive result may occur organically. Whether you’re shedding a tear watching Aftersun or leaning into the He’s Literally Me Ryan Gosling memes, engaging with film in one capacity or another can provide a sense of release in a fast-paced world and help you to consider your own behaviors anew.
Movie magic: it’s multifaceted
Alex Holmes
So, it’s established that watching films can be good for you. And there’s a reason why we might gain more from going to the theater instead of watching at home. According to Dr. Joseph Devlin, professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London (UCL), seeing a film on the big screen can have a surprising number of effects on your body that at-home viewing can’t perfectly emulate.
One major benefit of going to see a movie is the elimination of distractions. We live in an increasingly busy world, where you’re constantly asked to switch your focus and keep several plates spinning at any one time. Just looking at your phone requires that you multitask, with notifications for different apps all demanding your attention at once.
“A brain system called the central executive has to disengage from one task and engage with another every time you switch tasks,” explains Dr. Devlin. This takes an infinitesimal amount of time, but “these costs accrue with each switch. Even someone who appears to be multitasking efficiently might be incurring costs of up to 40% of their cognitive processing time.”
If you’re watching a film at home, then that multitasking is probably in play. You might pause the film to do something else, or aimlessly scroll through social media feeds as it plays in the background — and the consequences could be more serious than just losing track of the plot.
“The true cost of multitasking is arguably not efficiency loss, but how it impairs our mental well-being,” says Dr. Devlin. Research has found that multitasking increases stress, frustration, and anxiety.
When sitting before the silver screen, however, you’re in a space where the only point of focus is the film playing out in front of you. Phone use is discouraged (if not outright banned), and there’s no need to switch between tasks. The only thing you have to do is sit back and enjoy.
Cinematic connections
Alex Holmes
Dr. Elicia Seay, clinical psychologist, adds that the social element of going to the cinema can also prove beneficial. Research from the UCL Department of Experimental Psychology and Vue Entertainment found that people reported closer social bonds with others at the cinema, even though they were complete strangers. Amazingly, the study also found that the heart rates of audience members synced during the film.
Several times, I’ve been a little disappointed when I rewatch a film at home that I originally saw at the cinema. The emotional beats just don’t make the same impact, and I’m left feeling underwhelmed. This is due to the way the autonomic nervous system responds to social settings, Dr. Devlin explains.
“Because this system plays a key role in the body’s reactions to emotions, the ups and downs of the storyline are felt more strongly when watching in a crowd of dozens of people.”
If catharsis is what you’re after, seeing a movie at the theater might just give you some impressive bang for your buck.
Does any of this mean you can’t reap some of those in-theater benefits at home? Nope. You just need to navigate your viewing with some intention:
Give yourself permission to relax. This works so well at the theater for several reasons, but making sure any pressing chores or other tasks are at least out of view when watching at home can help.
Free yourself of your phone. If you’re able to just put your phone in a different room while you intentionally slip into a story on screen, that will do the trick! If you need to have your phone nearby, keep only the notifications you need on and stay off social media apps and other scrolling that will detract from your experience. There are all kinds of apps designed for maximizing focus that you can use just for the duration of a film.
Chill on the chatter. Follow the same conversational rules you would abide by in public for the best immersive experience.
If you can do all of the above with others present, go for it! There’s something intimate about even the possibility of synced heart rates thanks to a shared movie-watching experience and strong social bonds are a bedrock of healthy living.
The cinema is a place specifically designed to take you to another world, offering a sanctuary for rest, release, and maybe even self-discovery. One of the main reasons why it’s so effective at transporting us and making us reflect is simple: we allow it to. Take your movie-watching at home seriously and you’re likely to increase both the enjoyment and enrichment you get from the activity. And who knows — beyond all the psychological benefits, you might even enjoy the story, too!