I watched 'The Invisible Man' for $20. If you're on the fence about renting movies still in theaters, here's why I feel it's well worth the spend.

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  • I had a quarantine date night with my wife watching "The Invisible Man."
  • The movie is one of several movies in theaters that are also available to watch On Demand.
  • The industry calls these titles Premium On Demand. They cost a little more to rent or buy than usual titles you can get online.
  • "The Invisible Man" cost $20 to rent for 48 hours. I feel it's definitely worth it.
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With many in the US stuck inside their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has put the communal experience of going to a movie theater at an unprecedented standstill. So movie studios have since made it very easy to see many of its movies that were in theaters by offering them through Premium Video On Demand.

It's a revenue stream that the studios have been wanting to experiment with for years, but didn't want to disrupt the relationship it has with movie theaters. Now, with most theaters closed, including the three biggest in the country — AMC, Regal, and Cinemark — Premium VOD (or PVOD, for short) is now a reality.

Though it's extremely unlikely that upcoming big-budget movies like "Black Widow" and "Wonder Woman 1984" would get the PVOD treatment as those need huge global theatrical box office returns to make back the millions spent on them, titles that aren't blockbusters could bring in lots of money on PVOD. Especially now, as people are seeking out things to watch while sitting at home.

Currently, Universal is taking the lead in PVOD, as it has three titles available to rent for $20 each (for 48 hours), "The Hunt," "Emma," and "The Invisible Man." And it will also make available its upcoming release, "Trolls World Tour," on PVOD April 10.

I had a quarantine date night with my wife on Saturday and we watched "The Invisible Man." Here's why I think the PVOD option isn't just essential in today's world, but will be a game-changer going forward.

It was very easy to track down "The Invisible Man" to rent.

Getting any movie that is currently available on PVOD is easy to rent (or buy, in some cases). It's basically like selecting any other Video On Demand option. If you have a cable service, you can do it through its On Demand service. Or you can select through iTunes, Roku, or FandangoNow.

My wife and I did it through our Amazon Fire stick.

My wife and I rarely ever get out to see a movie, so this was clutch.

This was kind of a big deal for us. With two kids, we rarely ever go out to the movies. So we made the most of it. After we put the kids to bed, my wife made up a cheese and meat board. She was also in a mood for a martini. I went with some red wine.

Our dog, Remy, wasn't that enthusiastic about the whole thing and just decided to sleep.

Is $20 too much to see a movie at home still in theaters? No way.

Compared to most titles offered On Demand, $20 is a big price tag for a rental. But you have to think about it like going to the movies.

Where I live, $20 is how much you have to pay per ticket if you want to see a movie in a theater. Then you have to add on if you are getting drinks or food. And if you are going out on a date, and have kids, you also have to add in the price of a babysitter. So $20 to watch "The Invisible Man" is very reasonable, at least for this reporter.

My wife clutched my arm throughout the thriller, despite being in the safety of our own home. For me, it was like being at the movies.

While this story isn't necessarily a review of "The Invisible Man," I would say it's definitely worth a watch. My colleague Libby Torres agreed, giving the film an "A."

Torres also broke down the film's scariest moments and everything that hints towards the movie's shocking conclusion.

I would definitely do PVOD again. And there are more titles coming.

On Tuesday alone, here are the titles that are coming early to On Demand: "Birds of Prey," "The Gentlemen," "The Way Back," and "Bloodshot."

The introduction of PVOD during the coronavirus quarantine will have a lasting effect on how we watch movies going forward.

There's something about seeing a movie inside a crowded theater that makes the experience so special. But that doesn't mean movies shouldn't be available in other ways at the same time. Maybe you don't like going to the movie theater near you. Or, like me and my wife, we don't get out often (and when we do, we skip on going to a theater).

Theaters will certainly return, at some point, but before then we will be catching up at home with the movies we missed in theaters (or new releases). The demand for PVOD will be a game-changer as it will build revenue for movies that aren't a must-see in theaters, like the Marvel and "Star Wars" franchises. That option likely won't disappear once life goes back to normal.

So, I'm looking forward to the next (home) date night.

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