Movie-loving Brits watch more than four days' worth of films every year- thanks to streaming services.
A poll of 2,000 people revealed adults typically watch 60 films annually, with the average length being an hour and 40 minutes, equating to almost 6,000 minutes a year in total.
When it comes to viewing at home, top benefits were found to be home comforts (66 per cent), being able to pause films when needed (59 per cent), taking control of the volume (48 per cent) and watching in pyjamas (38 per cent).
Yet 24 per cent also said it’s important to them to be able to watch films on the go, with the most popular reason for downloading to mobile or tablet being entertainment while on holiday.
Gen Z are watching the most movies according to the data averaging 73 films a year and a total of five days’ worth of time annually.
And 16 per cent of young adults confessed to cheekily putting a film on when working from home.
The research was commissioned by EE ahead of the EE BAFTA Film Awards on 22nd February – with its own streaming data revealing the city of Bath as the cinephile capital, with residents streaming more per person than any other town in the country.
Thanks to its Georgian architecture, famous Royal Crescent, and picturesque streets, Bath has provided the backdrop for iconic films including Wonka, The Remains of the Day and Les Misérables.
And 33 per cent of movie lovers rate British-made films as the best, ahead of what comes out of Hollywood, according to the data.
Kelly Engstrom, spokesperson for EE and Plusnet said: “Film has an incredible ability to bring people together, and our data shows that in Bath that love for film is deeply rooted.
“We’re passionate about doing more to connect film fans and emerging talent, and this year we are extending the reach and making the EE BAFTA Film Awards more accessible than ever.”
The research also found when it comes to a hot release, many would be willing to cancel a pub session to watch it instead (22 per cent).
This rises to a third (31 per cent) of Gen Zs happy to cancel going to the pub in favour of film night, compared with just 15 per cent of 55-64 year olds, where the local boozer still wins.
One in five (21 per cent) are watching films more than ever, with 51 per cent of those claiming it’s because it’s an easy way to unwind after a long day.
Drama was rated the nation’s favourite genre of film (13 per cent), followed by comedy (12 per cent) and action (12 per cent).
Residents of the South West are adventurous in their movie selection, saying they like to watch a range of different genres of film (53 per cent), while a fifth (17 per cent) keep an eye out for award-winning films to view.
The nation’s love of movies even infiltrates daily conversation, with 38 per cent having said Arnold Schwarzenegger’s line “I’ll be back” in an exchange, while 27 per cent have said “Houston, we have a problem” from Apollo 13 and 23 per cent have quoted “May the force be with you”.
Not only that, 26 per cent have used a storyline or theme from a film to tackle a tricky conversation and 46 per cent see them as a good way to connect with friends and family, according to the OnePoll figures.
Were they able to step onto the red carpet themselves, respondents revealed who they’d most love to meet, with Tom Hanks coming out on top with 23 per cent, followed by Keanu Reeves (17 per cent) and Idris Elba (14 per cent).
This week, to reward the residents of Bath, EE is using its 5G+ network to power immersive holographic technology and beam Bath’s film fans live in 4K onto the red carpet at the film awards to interview their favourite stars and experience the magic of the red carpet despite being 116 miles away.
EE and BAFTA continue to champion creative excellence and invite the public to vote for the next Rising Star Award winner, the only public voted award at the EE BAFTAs at [https://www.eebafta-risingstarvote.co.uk/], with the winner being announced this Sunday.
Kelly Engstrom added: "Whether you’re on the red carpet or watching from your sofa, connectivity can transform how we experience these cultural moments and that’s exactly what we want to showcase in Bath this Sunday.”
