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MoviePass raises its monthly rate to $14.95, but Utah film lovers wonder if that’s enough to save the struggling subscription service

As a film buff, David Johnson thinks the subscription service MoviePass, which allowed nearly unlimited movie tickets for a flat monthly or yearly fee, is great.

“It encourages people to try movies that they might not otherwise try,” said Johnson, of Provo, who usually goes to one or two movies a week.

As an accountant, though, Johnson said he was “fascinated by the business model. I did think from the very beginning, ‘How is this sustainable?’”

A lot of MoviePass subscribers in Utah and nationwide have asked that question this week, as the service has taken drastic actions — including a $5 million emergency loan last week to pay for movie tickets its customers wanted to buy — to keep from going under.