A Video Vault Research Report
State of Movie Night 2026
Who Did We Ask?
We surveyed 80 anonymous participants recruited via Reddit — a genuine mix of ages, viewing habits, and streaming setups. These are people who actually live this problem every time they sit down to watch something.
More streaming services.
Harder to decide on something to watch.
spend more than 15 minutes
choosing a movie every single night.
Only 23.8% feel genuinely good about how they pick.
Participants weren’t running out of things to watch. They were running out of patience to find them. The problem isn’t access — it’s the decision.
How much does mood influence what you watch?
63% say mood is a major essential factor.
Top frustrations when picking a movie
Multiple selections allowed. The top two aren’t close.
The “Maybe Pile” Problem
of movies to watch.
within a week.
next time they watch.
Do people build a “maybe pile”?
Only 23.8% commit to the first option they find.
How would you feel about an app that remembered your shortlist?
75% said useful or life-changing.
Nostalgia or Practical?
Of the 80 people surveyed, only 2 had no connection to the video rental era. 87.5% identified at least one thing the old model did better than streaming today.
Relationship with Blockbuster?
65% have direct memory. 35% imagining it — and still seeing the value.
Was anything better about the rental experience?
87.5% said yes.
What People Want — And We Have It
Multiple selections allowed. The answers mapped almost perfectly to what Video Vault is already building.
“I do this thing where I scroll for twenty minutes, get overwhelmed and put on the same comfort movie I have seen nine times already. Blockbuster actually forced me to choose something new because I had to walk around and read the boxes. Now the algorithm just feeds me more of the same and it feels like work to break out of that.”
Video Vault Community
Movie Night Starts Here.