The familiar routine of every weekend is undoubtedly tedious. Waking up on Saturday morning with an inexplicable urge to engage in some sort of activity adds to the monotony of the routine. The pressure to have a fulfilling and eventful weekend has led to the fabrication of kayaking adventures and the participation in the modern trend of “rotting” – the concept of doing absolutely nothing in a well-coordinated manner.
While some individuals succumb to the pressure of making the most out of their weekends, others, including myself, struggle with the existential dread of wasting precious free time. The endless scroll through social media serves to further reinforce the feeling of missing out as peers embark on exhilarating hikes or immerse themselves in profound cultural experiences, while I contemplate the protein content of a sandwich.
Amidst the endless scroll, the tennis-themed fashion of Zendaya and the buzz around the film “Challengers” manage to captivate attention. Suddenly, the decision is made – a trip to the cinema. The plan is to attend a Sunday afternoon or early evening show, a feasible and defined “something” to do over the weekend, albeit always ending in contemplation of the necessity of such a plan.
Regrettably, the quest to secure a reasonable movie slot proves to be a challenge. The once-available 5 or 6 o’clock screening times on weekends seem to have vanished, leaving mainly late afternoon and 8 to 9pm slots. The predicament lies in neither desiring to exit a cinema post-sunset nor commencing a film at 9pm, both conflicting with individual body clocks and legal limitations.
The unavailability of early evening movie times has led to various ponderings. Is it due to “Challengers” being an indie film? Could greater attention to the film’s details and less distraction by Zendaya’s captivating fashion have prevented this oversight? Or is there indeed a cohort of moviegoers who disregard the constraints of time and flock to late-night screenings?
The predicament is not just a personal struggle, but also reflective of the restrictive nature of time, as societal norms impose arbitrary limitations on when certain activities may be pursued. The urgency to catch zeitgeist films becomes all the more heightened when faced with such constraints.
As I seek solace in this shared predicament, I am left to contemplate the elusive early evening movie times and yearn for a life where cultural enlightenment transcends the allure of Zendaya’s wardrobe. A simple life, where the magpie demons of idleness can simply be dismissed with a Sunday night movie plan.
In a society where the art of doing nothing is praised, perhaps the real art lies in reclaiming control over our weekends without succumbing to societal pressures. For now, the hunt for early evening movie slots and the secrets of the 9pm moviegoers continues.