Post-mortem. MoviePass closed. The account below was written after the end, with the outcome known. Separately, a blind test with the evidence cut off at July 2026, before the end, returned: not called safe. How the blind test works.

MoviePass

Subscription service for movie tickets, relaunched in 2022 after 2019 bankruptcy

Blind testEvidence cut off July 2026 · Ended later · Result: not called safe

What happened

The company ceased to operate independently.

Why it did not hold

MoviePass 2.0 has a real independent-theater partnership that AMC and Regal cannot copy, sitting on top of a subscription business that still isn't profitable and is short on cash.

MoviePass is a subscription service that lets customers watch movies at theaters for a monthly fee instead of paying full price each time. The company has one real advantage: a deal starting in May 2026 to work with about 5,000 independent movie theaters that big chains like AMC and Regal cannot serve, since those chains compete with independents. However, MoviePass is burning through cash fast, it has only about $537,000 in the bank but spends roughly $1.16 million every month, and the company itself admits the subscription business is not making money yet and needs $10 million just to stop losing money. AMC and Regal already launched their own movie subscription services specifically to compete with MoviePass, and either of them or a ticket website like Fandango could eventually copy MoviePass's movie recommendation technology, though MoviePass's past claims about its AI were found to be false by federal investigators. The one thing that could save the company is if it raises $10 million or more from real investors by late 2026, otherwise it will likely shut down again or force shareholders to accept severe dilution through desperate financing.

AI pressure: None apparent. No AI rival is targeting MoviePass yet; its own past AI claims were called fabricated in a DOJ fraud case against a former CEO.

Bigger players: AMC Stubs A-List and Regal Unlimited. AMC and Regal built their own unlimited-ticket plans specifically to kill MoviePass, and both already run inside the major chains it can't reach.

What protected it. A May 2026 deal with the Independent Cinema Alliance gives MoviePass exclusive access to about 5,000 indie screens AMC and Regal can't serve.

Timeline

2026-05-27MoviePass launches Independent Cinema Alliance partnership covering ~5,000 independent screens
2026-04-16AMC raises A-List subscription pricing to $14.99-$27.99 per month
2025-11-04MoviePass Wefunder raise hits $476,172 from 597 investors, 100% of target
2025-10-01MoviePass reports ~$537,551 cash on hand against ~$1.16M monthly costs
2025-05-21MoviePass announces GEM Token Fund's claimed $100M token deal for Mogul
2025-01-07Former HMNY CEO Theodore Farnsworth pleads guilty to securities fraud tied to fabricated AI claims
2024-12-01SEC obtains consent judgment against former HMNY executive
2023-01-12MoviePass closes seed round led by Animoca Brands
2022-08-26MoviePass reports 460,000 signups within 24 hours of relaunch
2021-11-10Bankruptcy court awards MoviePass brand and assets to Stacy Spikes

Also gone

Chegg closed 2026 Course Hero closed 2026 One Hour Translation / Blend was absorbed 2026

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This page is a post-mortem, not a live assessment, and it carries no band. The blind-test result is the only part made without knowledge of the outcome.