‘There’s excitement in the air’: how America fell back in love with indie cinema | Video

Ohand quiet street in new York Ridgewood City has a white house with no windows. Its only door, covered with plasterboard, looks like a youth’s bedroom; the building numbers are indicated by a sticker above them. But if you look closely, here is Low Cinema, an indie movie theater that has only 42 seats and enjoys being lo-fi.

“We need to bring back theaters that are the size of pornographic theaters but don’t play pornographic films,” says the owner. John Wilsonwho is best known as the host of HBO Max’s popular How To with John Wilson and opened Low Cinema in the spring of 2025.

“Four or five people have told me they’re opening or renovating movie theaters across the country since we opened a year ago,” Wilson added.

Wilson found himself swept up in a genre led by gen Z that is sparking a renaissance of indie movie houses. Earlier this year, a Fandango survey found that the population is now many movie lovers. At this time, a new research from Art House Convergence, a coalition of indie theater owners, showed that independent movie theaters have grown 38% since the pandemic, with 68% of attendees under the age of 45.

Indie theater has suddenly found itself a “culture-making business” after years of being stagnant, says Lela Meadow-Conner, longtime director of Art House Convergence.

“Gen Z is flocking to the cinema, which we know is true around the world, and nowhere is it better than the art house,” he says. “This is especially so because independent theaters are created by people who understand the interests and aspirations of their community rather than simply creating programs that matter.”

The Art House Convergence survey also found that a quarter of all respondents only started going to their television in the last three years.

Factor in the latest box office success of indie films such as Emotions and Back roomsand publications such as the Hollywood Reporter are asking if gen Z can save Hollywood.

“I think it’s because (going to the movie theater) can be anonymous or social, and it’s up to you how you want to play it,” Wilson said of what draws young people to movie theaters like Low. In the week we’re talking about, the small venue is boasting an eclectic mix, playing classics (1948’s The Naked City), cult favorites (Jackie Chan flick Rumble in the Bronx from 1995) and others (2010’s forgettable Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps).

Adding to its beauty is the off the cuff trend on social media. His schedule for the week of July 4 simply states: “Maybe I’ll do something.”

“People come in to buy popcorn if you leave the door open and they’re not even watching a movie,” said Wilson. The store also displays tired, VHS tapes from the 90s, tapping into the craze of movie culture.

Chicago is dignified and church-like Music Box Theatre is also experiencing similar interest. In nearly a century (it opened two months before the Great Depression) the 700-seat stadium, which features a neon marquee that rises above Lakeview’s Southport Avenue, has never been more popular.

“We had more than 300,000 audience members coming to the show in 2025 alone,” said Steve Prokopy, director of public relations for the theater group.

“Gen Z has also grown to appreciate watching new and old movies on film, so when we play new movies on 35mm or 70mm, people often come from far away to watch them,” said Prokopy. He said the pandemic was a great way for younger generations to enjoy high-quality movies at home, increasing their interest in watching big movies when theaters opened.

“Any decade’s live action movies usually attract more audiences than video games,” says Prokopy, pointing to recent releases including everything from Sister Act to last year’s Cannes blockbuster. The Mastermindcomplete with a live score from singer Rob Mazurek. In July, there is a series celebrating the foundation of French New Wave cinema.

Buck LePard, Music Box’s general manager, said he saw tickets sold for the 2001 Hollywood comedy Joe Dirt and The Lord of the Rings trilogy alike. “I really like watching movies that people grew up loving, but were probably too young to see in theaters right after they came out.”

Director Rustin Thompson recently wrote a love letter to movie theaters with his new documentary The Last Picture Shows. Written as an “elegy for the small town cinema”, it chronicled a trip to theaters across the country. Thompson initially saw the film as a sad look back at what it once was, but later realized he was painting a beautiful picture.

“I soon realized how many small towns in the open west still have movie theaters, dedicated owners and managers who have found ways to keep their movie theaters open,” says Thompson. My film changed from a sad journey to a very happy journey. It still has grim images of the long-abandoned movie theaters, but several that are still standing and thriving.

Thompson can’t help but reflect on what he sees as encouraging statistics. “I think (a lot of young people) feel like they’re changing a little bit with algorithms, AI, and marketing,” he explains. “No one asked that these tools force us to do repetitive and questionable, videos and lists of companies that they call ‘content’.”

According to Meadow-Conner, “intentional and thoughtful healing” appeals to audiences. “Because they are rooted in their communities, modern buildings are playing a very important role (bringing people together),” he says.

Art House Convergence is here to see their work parallel the rise of vinyl records. To that end, just like April Record Store Day, they’re launching Art House Theater Day on July 30, when hundreds of theaters will boast special programs across the country.

For Meadow-Conner, the future is bright: “There is a definite spirit of excitement in the air about the future of independent theaters and their important role in the film ecosystem.”