Stellan Skarsgård Reminds Us That "Cinema Should Be Seen in Cinemas"

At a time when watching movies at home has become the default for a lot of people, Stellan Skarsgård stepped up on a Hollywood stage and delivered a reminder that hit right at the heart of why many of us fell in love with movies in the first place.

Skarsgård, now 74, picked up the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in Sentimental Value during the Golden Globes ceremony this past weekend. The win capped off a big stretch for the legendary actor, who also recently earned Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Drama at the Astra Awards.

During his acceptance speech, Skarsgård took a moment to talk about something bigger than awards or career milestones. He talked about movie theaters, saying:

"Hopefully you'll see it in a cinema because they're an extinguished [sic] species now..."

He laughed, the room laughed, and the point landed. He meant endangered, and everyone knew exactly what he was getting at. Then he kept going, and this is where the room really locked in.

"In a cinema, where the lights go down, and eventually you share the pulse with some other people. That's magic! Cinema should be seen in cinemas."

This is something movie fans already feel deep down. Sitting in the dark with strangers, reacting together, feeling the rhythm of a story as one audience. That shared pulse is something streaming just can’t and will never replicate.

Skarsgård’s career stretches back decades and over the years, he’s delivered unforgettable performances in so many film projects. What’s wild is that despite all of this, Skarsgård has never received an Oscar nomination.

The speech felt like a call to remember what makes movies special. Theaters are communal spaces where stories breathe differently. Where silence matters. Where laughter spreads. Where tension is shared.

Hearing someone like Skarsgård say it out loud, fresh off a major win, felt especially right. Movie theaters are sacred places. Always have been. Always should be. And if more filmmakers and actors keep reminding us why they matter, maybe those endangered species still have a fighting chance.