Martin Scorsese Explains Why He No Longer Goes to Movie Theaters

Martin Scorsese, one of the most iconic filmmakers in cinema history, recently revealed that he no longer enjoys watching movies in theaters. It’s not a lack of passion for cinema—far from it. Instead, it’s the disruptive behavior of modern audiences that has driven him away from the big screen experience.

In a recent conversation with his longtime friend and film critic Peter Travers, Scorsese opened up about his decision to stop attending movie theaters. Travers, who just launched his new blog, The Travers Take, asked Scorsese why he no longer goes out to watch films. The answer was blunt and passionate.

According to Travers, Scorsese expressed strong frustration with how people behave during screenings. “He was really upset about how people talk on their phones, get up frequently to buy snacks, and create enough noise to overpower the actual film,” Travers explained. Scorsese acknowledged that in his youth, he and his friends would talk during movies too—but with a key difference. “Sure, we chatted,” he said, “but it was always about the movie itself. It added to the experience, not distracted from it.”

Nowadays, Scorsese prefers the comfort and control of his own home. His New York townhouse is equipped with a private screening room filled with classic posters, film memorabilia, and a large screen perfect for immersing himself in old Hollywood masterpieces. He even has a second, smaller viewing space in his upstairs study, along with an expansive personal film library that he’s built over decades.

This home setup allows him to keep up with contemporary cinema as well. Scorsese has praised several modern films recently, including TÁR, Pearl, Hereditary, Nosferatu, and I Saw the TV Glow.

His frustration is understandable to anyone who’s experienced a distracted or noisy crowd at the movies. For a filmmaker who views cinema as a sacred experience, today’s common disruptions can make theaters feel more like a battleground than a sanctuary for storytelling.

Once a space for collective escape and wonder, movie theaters have become less appealing to serious film lovers like Scorsese. For him, staying home offers the quiet, focused atmosphere that allows films to shine the way they were meant to.