Some of the earliest drive-in theaters date back to the early 1900s, but their true reign in American culture peaked from the 1940s through the 1960s. A drive-in movie theater consists of a large parking lot or field, a large outdoor screen or projector, and some form of concessions stand. Drive-ins provided a unique movie-watching experience from the comfort of one's car, and allowed for ultimate privacy. The true push for drive-in movie theaters came from the boom of car sales after wartime. The cost to maintain such a property was less than the cost to run an indoor movie theater, which, in turn, allowed for ticket prices to be greatly cheaper than the alternative, thus drawing younger audiences and families.
The nostalgia for drive-in theaters isnโt few and far between, and many states host โsummer drive-insโ during the warmer months as a nod to the old days. Some of the most popular drive-ins still, in fact, exist today in States in the U.S.'s mid-west. What's more, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, effectively rendering in-theater screenings unsafe, drive-ins became the go-to form of exhibition. Variety reports that Christopher Nolan's Tenet, the only film released in the middle of 2020 lockdowns, became available only at drive-in theaters across the country. Though Nolan had no say in Tenet‘s release, and though the decision was greatly criticized by many, including George Clooney, what's significant is how the drive-in became the industry's sort of saving grace in terms of theatrical exhibition.
Today, drive-in experiences can range from something as simple as a rooftop viewing to a much more creative endeavor, such as watching Jaws while floating on a body of water. Although a trip to a drive-in theater is more of a novelty than a weekend event, this form of movie-viewing is an important part of cinematic history, and deserves to be recognized as such.