MoviePass is a concept that sounds too good to be true. A service that promises users can see one first-run film a day for $10 per month? Get outta town.

But it's out there. And in Portland, most major theaters are on board.

The service, which once cost up to $50 per month, slashed its prices in mid-August and for the first few weeks, the simple act of signing up was a baffling ordeal. A flood of new users was to blame for program's kinks, which ranged from processing times with the smartphone app to delays in production for MoviePass debit cards.

But that initial surge has turned into a steady drip of subscriptions and those issues have been largely worked out.

The program works by tying individual subscriptions to the aforementioned card. Once installed, the MoviePass app can be used to search for showtimes by browsing for eligible theaters or pulling up individual films.

Users reserve a seat by claiming it through the app, provided they're within 100 yards of the theater when doing so. After that, the debit card will cover the cost of the ticket at the box office, regardless of price.

There are restrictions: MoviePass will only work on standard movies, which means no IMAX or 3D. Still, the monthly $10 fee pays for itself after the first visit.

In Portland, all of the Regal and Cinemark theaters we've tried over the last month have accepted the card. The app even has check-in prompts for smaller venues like The Mission Theater and Laurelhurst Theatre.

In September, your friendly neighborhood trending reporter caught two showings of "Wonder Woman," a showing of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and the remake of "IT" without shelling out more than the monthly subscription fee. The nearly $30 in savings meant splurging on popcorn, nachos and soda almost felt compulsory.

We haven't tried it with midnight showings, but "Blade Runner 2049" seems like it might make a good candidate.

If there's a catch to the program, it might be that in August, a data firm bought a majority stake in MoviePass with the goal of using moviegoers' viewing habits to craft marketing and advertising strategies. (But if we're being real here, that's also an argument against renting anything from Google Play.)

Add to that the fact that AMC has filed suit in the wake of August's price drop and the service may find itself among the many things we can agree were fun while they lasted. This is why we can't have nice things, at least for long.

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com