It's a communal experience: Steve McQueen on watching films in theatres

Director Steve McQueen believes watching films in theatres is a "communal experience" and is best enjoyed there.

In an interview with Uproxx, the 48-year-old director of Oscar-winning film "12 Years a Slave" said he made his new film "Widows" for cinemagoers.

"It's a communal experience. That's what cinema is. And that's why I made this film. Sometimes there's a time to cheer and sometimes there's a time to cry. And we have that both in this movie," McQueen said.

The director said movies are meant to be watched with an audience in theatres and not to be individually consumed in front of a laptop at home.

"That's the good thing about cinema. No point looking at a movie on your laptop on your own at home. The thrill of cinema is to be in an audience with 200 people, 500 people or a thousand people and watching something.

"I remember when I saw 'North by Northwest' with my wife when we first dated. About 20 years ago. That movie, and the reaction..." the director said.

"Widows", the British director's follow-up film to "12 Years a Slave", is a heist thriller and features an ensemble cast of Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson.