Scotland is facing an unexpected future in which our independent and niche arthouse cinemas might outlive the once-reliable local chain cinema.

While independent cinemas are leaning into the bedrock passion of filmgoers, commercial chains are squeezing on the margins to continue existing. It’s quite the reversal of what film historians and trend-watchers thought could happen.

The current trajectory of Scotland’s cinemas can be traced back to the pandemic. Cinemas were particularly hard done by lockdown restrictions, being large, high-rent buildings that communally congregate groups of people. Measures such as socially distanced seating were introduced, but profit margins evaporated from the reduced capacity.

There was also a lack of new films to pique the general public’s curiosity and fill seats, with studios waiting for a significant enough audience return to release anything major in their pipelines. Chains, so reliant on the sure-thing nature of Hollywood blockbusters, floundered at the lack of offerings.

Read more from our arts supplement:

How an unlikely Highland town became Britain’s most exciting place to see theatre

According to data from Screen Scotland, box office recovery in Scotland has actually outpaced the rest of the UK, climbing back to roughly 80% of its pre-pandemic high. So why has this not trickled down to the benefit of the multiplexes? The answer lies in their unenviable position of high fixed overheads and acclimating to the sudden shifts in consumer habits.

Studios have adapted to increased home-viewing that has remained steady since the pandemic, despite the return to business as usual, by focusing on streaming films and........

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