Like all analog workflows the attraction is the process itself. The decision path is one way, path dependency is permanent. You can think of it as a roguelike (the game genre) approach to creative expression. Working with constraints is an excellent way to develop your creative chops. Analog workflows, pen and ink, paint, wet plate photography, audio recording on tape, film photography, etc. all hem in the artist in different ways. It is the play inside the constraints and honing the craft that make them enjoyable to do.

There is also something to creating a physical thing that is immensely satisfying. Bits are bits and no matter how useful they may be they end up feeling very much the same as ever other undifferentiated bit in the trillions of photos, sounds, programs, spreadsheets, etc. Capturing light on film and then splashing them with chemicals results in something that you hold in your hand and now is a unique object.

So yes, digital photography is very useful and cost effective. Film photography is about fun or challenging yourself. It causes you to practice deliberate decision making in a creative process. If that sounds meaningless or stupid then it isn’t for you.