HBO’s Moviepass, Moviecrash documentary explores the meteoric rise and surprisingly quick demise of Moviepass. The movie ticketing program allowed moviegoers to subscribe to a service that was less expensive than purchasing individual film tickets. Ultimately, the business model was unsustainable.
“In a span of eight years, MoviePass went from being the fastest-growing subscription service since Spotify to total bankruptcy, losing over $150 million in 2017 alone,” reads HBO’s synopsis. “Moviepass, Moviecrash chronicles the company’s beginnings as an innovative movie ticketing model beloved by cinema-goers, exploring the visionary mission of its entrepreneur co-founders, its impressive early successes, and its precipitous downfall caused by mismanagement and corporate greed.
MoviePass was a movie lover’s dream, offering access to movie theater tickets at a discounted monthly subscription rate. In 2017, with a ‘too good to be true’ promotional deal of $9.95 a month, subscriptions exploded, the company’s stock soared, and investors rushed to get in on the venture. However, the co-founders, who had built the pop culture phenomenon from scratch, were cast aside and forced to watch from the sidelines as new executives seized control. A combination of extravagant and fraudulent spending with lavish parties at the Sundance Film Festival, Coachella, and the Cannes Film Festival, and a fundamentally unsustainable business model, led the company to shutter abruptly in 2019.”
The documentary features new interviews with Moviepass co-founders along with former CEO Mitch Lowe, former employees, investors, and subscribers. Industry analysts and Business Insider journalists also provide details on what happened and why the company failed.
Muta’Ali (HBO’s Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn) directs and Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Archie Gips, Jack Heller, Scott Veltri, Jevon Frank, and David Wendell produce. Executive producers include Muta’Ali, Jason Guerrasio, Joel Stonington, and HBO’s Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.
Moviepass, Moviecrash premieres on May 29, 2024.
