despite every audience member knowing how things will play out,
Don't be so sure about that.
I was reading something the other week, on the Beeb website I think. Not sure, because it wasn't all that important to me, just passing some time. But the takeaway from it was a comment about film reviewers going to see Apollo 13. The older reviewer mentioned that the young Radio One film critic mentioned that she was on the edge of her seat watching the film, wondering how it would turn out.