The majority of Morton East students are still going to movie theaters; at least they did this past summer.
A notable trend among Morton East students is their fondness for movie outings. Many have reported going to theaters to watch movies, often as a social activity with friends and family.
According to Google’s AI Overview, a 2025 Fandango study found that 90% of Gen Z went to a movie theater in 2024. For this generation, attending the cinema is about sharing moments with others, with teens and young adults citing the social gathering aspect as a primary motivation. Furthermore, in a survey of teens, 65% said they would go with friends, 70% said they would go with family, while only 28% said they would go alone. While teens report that they genuinely love going to the movies, the high cost of tickets is the main barrier that prevents them from going more often. In a random survey of one class at Morton East, 10 students out of the 18 students (or 56%) there said that they had gone to a movie at a theater during the summer.
“Over the summer I remember my cousin invited me to see a new movie at a small theater at AMC,” junior Morton East student Alex Luna Romero said.
After coming back to school from summer break, Alex explains about a happy memory he made over the summer with his cousin. It is nice to have a fresh start coming back to school after summer break and still remember the good times with family and friends.
“I hung out with my friends over the summer and got invited to see a new movie at AMC and I really enjoyed it,” junior Morton East student Diego Alvador said.
Diego’s summer experience is something many students can relate to. After a long school year, it’s nice to take a break and enjoy the time with friends.
“Last week I went to the theater with my sisters and watched the new movie Conjuring that came out. It was really good because there was a good ending and no one died and everyone lived happily,” sophomore Morton East student Crisol Moreno said.
Unlike some students who mentioned movies they watched, Crisol’s experience stands out for her thoughtful review.
“I went to see a new movie that came out with my friends,” senior Morton East student Jesse Mares said.
After the stress of a long week at school, Jesse and his friends found the perfect way to unwind by catching a new movie release together.
“I’m a huge film buff, I’m even trying to see 365 movies in 2025, 88 movies to go on September 8th. I go to the movies with many different people, including myself! I’ve seen movies with my fiancé, different friends, family members, even other teachers. I think that going to the movies is a great date and a great hangout. Over breaks in college, I worked at the Lake Theater in Oak Park and got free movies for myself and guests. I love seeing movies because they’re stories, representations of experiences and emotions that make me learn more about myself and the world. They’re entertaining. My favorite four movies on my Letterboxd account (jbrownt60) are Mad Max: Fury Road, Nacho Libre, The Fall, and Jojo Rabbit. One of the worst movies I’ve ever seen was Cimarron, the Oscar Best Picture winner from 1931. Some others are awful and have disgusting things in them, those can be at least memorable. This one was awful and boring. I often go to the Lake Theater in Oak Park, but also watch movies with my club, Film Appreciation Club, where we watch movies after school in room 239 or in the auditorium on Mondays after school. I’m also working on creating a Film Study senior elective course for next year. Hopefully I succeed,” English teacher Mr. Jake Brown said.
Mr. Brown’s love for movies really shows. Whether he’s watching films with friends, family, or planning a class for next year, it’s clear that movies mean a lot to him. Many students agree.
