For many Americans, movie night now means dimming the lights, grabbing the remote, and disappearing into the glow of a streaming platform. But Annie Roney, founder of the In Real Life Movie Club, wants to change that—one theater, one film, and one conversation at a time.
Appearing on Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan Proft, Roney discussed her nonprofit’s mission: to bring people back to the movie theater and, more importantly, back to each other. “We created something for the audience,” Roney explained. “Instead of watching a film and having a Q&A where you’re talked at, our concept was to let the audience have time to talk to each other.”
The In Real Life Movie Club (IRL for short) screens powerful documentary films that aren’t always picked up by major streaming services. These films are shown across the country—this Sunday in 70 different locations, including Highland Park’s Wayfarer Theater in Chicago—and are followed by structured discussions that encourage audience members to actually engage with one another.
Roney’s inspiration came from more than 25 years in the documentary film world, working with acclaimed filmmakers like Alex Gibney and Marshall Curry. Over nearly two decades, her company helped distribute 18 Oscar-nominated documentaries. But after seeing the industry shift toward solitary streaming and away from communal viewing, Roney felt something essential was missing.
The turning point came while distributing the documentary Join or Die: Why You Should Join a Club, inspired by Robert Putnam’s famous book Bowling Alone. The film explores how the decline of community organizations weakens democracy. Roney said the message hit home. “When we stop gathering in community, democracy starts to fail,” she noted. “We wanted to give people space to meet strangers and have civil conversations—even if it’s just about the weather.”
Each screening costs only $5, thanks to IRL’s nonprofit model. The organization provides grants to participating theaters and filmmakers, funded by donations from individuals and foundations like the Hearthland Foundation, created by Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw. Membership in the club is free, and anyone can join at irlmovclub.org.
While the project isn’t overtly political, its mission is deeply civic—rebuilding trust, connection, and curiosity in a polarized culture. “At the end of the film,” Roney said, “everyone’s turning around, smiling, reaching over an aisle to say hello to someone. And now they have something to talk about.”
It’s a small but hopeful scene—one that suggests that in an age of isolation and algorithms, the simple act of watching a movie together might just be revolutionary.
Photo by Geoffrey Moffett on Unsplash