When there’s a movie coming out that you really want to see, then you might try to make plans to see it with your family or friends.
However, after frequent cancellations, you may realize that it’s up to you to see it alone if you’re going to see it at all in the theater.
If you’ve never gone to the movies alone before, you might be wondering if it’s weird to go alone.
You may also worry that other people will think you’re weird for going to a movie alone.
Is It Weird To Go To The Movies Alone?
No, it’s not weird to go to the movies alone.
Although going to the movies is a social event, sometimes you’re going to want to see a movie that no one else does.
That’s especially true if your cinematic tastes are different from those of the people you know.
It may feel a bit odd to get your ticket and sit in the theater alone, but there’s no reason that going to the movies alone is weird.
5 Benefits Of Going To The Movies Alone
While going to the movies with friends and family is more common, there are a few benefits of going to the movies on your own.
Here are a few of those benefits.
1.Arrive Early
A problem you’ll sometimes face when going to the movies with others is that someone is always late.
This is a problem for many reasons.
The first is that you’re sitting around waiting for them.
You might go through your entire bucket of popcorn before they even show up through boredom alone.
Even worse, it means you don’t get to choose the best seats in the house.
In most movie theaters, you don’t have assigned seats.
You essentially buy your ticket, then you sit where you want once you enter the auditorium.
This means that anyone who goes ahead of you has the chance to sit in some of the best seats in the room.
It might be ideal for sound.
It might be ideal for the picture.
For example, a few might want to sit on the sides of the room since they’ll have to turn their heads slightly to see the entire screen.
The same goes for sitting too close to the screen.
You’ll have to angle your head backward to see everything.
When you’re on your own, you don’t have to worry about that happening.
You can arrive early and enjoy all the benefits that opportunity provides.
That might mean playing some of the games at the theater, that might mean being able to have the time to order food, and it might simply mean a more relaxing experience.
When you go to the movies alone, you don’t have to worry about being late.
2. Get All The Popcorn
Another common feature of going to the movies with people is that you have to share your popcorn.
That isn’t always the case, of course.
Friends might each buy their own buckets of popcorn.
If you’re going with your family, however, there’s a good chance that you’ll be expected to share your popcorn.
That’s even if someone didn’t want popcorn in the first place.
Halfway through the movie, they might want to have some of your popcorn.
Even worse, they might ask you to get some more popcorn after the movie has started.
You end up missing parts because you have to get popcorn for someone else.
When you’re at the movies alone, you don’t have those problems or obligations.
The only one you need to worry about getting popcorn for is yourself.
Even better, there’s no one around to share the popcorn with.
As a result, you can sit back and relax with the movie while enjoying the entire bucket of popcorn on your own.
If you love to munch on movie popcorn, then this benefit alone is worth going to the movies on your own.
It doesn’t stop at popcorn either.
If the theater sells actual food like hot dogs or even hamburgers, then that’s food you get to enjoy on your own, too.
Then there are snacks and desserts.
You can eat as much as you want without worrying about someone judging you or taking it for themselves.
Going to the movies alone is great because you don’t have to worry about sharing your food with anyone else.
3. Choose Where You Want To Sit
An oft-underestimated benefit of going to the movies alone is that you get to choose where you sit.
When you go with friends, it might be a friend who makes that choice for you.
If the group is indecisive, it might even take a few moments before someone takes the lead and chooses a seat.
When you go with family, it’s usually a family member who chooses the seats.
If the adult is in charge, it might be an ideal seat.
However, if there are children in the group, the decision has to include them as well.
They might be too short to see over the tops of the chairs.
As such, your choice of seats is a bit more limited.
When you’re on your own, however, that’s not a problem.
You can choose whatever seat you want from those that are available.
That means you can sit in the far back if you want.
You can sit at the very front.
You can even sit in the coveted middle chairs.
You’re the one who gets to make the decision.
That can immediately make your viewing experience a lot better.
Choosing the right seat can limit the strain you put on your neck.
It can also ensure you have the perfect audio quality.
Going to the movies alone is beneficial because you get to choose where you want to sit.
4. Few Distractions
The problem with going to the movies with friends or family is that there are usually distractions.
In the case of friends, you might have a friend or two who love to talk during the entire movie.
They might have seen it before and are pointing out the easter eggs or reciting movie trivia to you.
They might have some confusion about something and are discussing it with you.
Either way, if you have a friend who talks during movies, it can decrease your enjoyment of the movie.
The same goes for family members.
If you’re seeing the latest Marvel movie, and your parent keeps asking questions about previous movies, then it can interfere with your enjoyment of the movie.
If there are young children, you can expect them to be constantly up and down with the need to use the bathroom.
Children tend to talk a lot, too, simply because they don’t understand that talking in movie theaters isn’t acceptable.
Talking isn’t the only distraction that friends and family can provide either.
You might have a friend who’s on their phone constantly during the movie.
Their screen and typing might distract you.
Children might be asking you for more popcorn or treats.
Each distraction essentially pulls you away from the movie.
You might not even remember it by the time it’s done because you barely got to watch any of it.
At the very least, your enjoyment of it might not be as high since the distractions took you out of the drama or action.
When you’re on your own, you can watch the movie distraction-free.
There may still be some people who are talking in the room, but they’re not talking directly to you.
It’s a bit easier to ignore them and focus on the movie.
As such, you might find the experience a bit more profound and stimulating.
Nothing is pulling you away from the drama or action.
Going to the movies alone is beneficial because you’re able to enjoy it distraction-free.
5. Form Your Own Opinions
One part of going to the movies that some people might not consider is how the opinions of their friends or family impact their own opinion of the movie.
For example, if you watched a movie and thought it was fun and entertaining, but your friend starts to trash it immediately, that might change your opinion.
You might feel more compelled to see it through their lens rather than form your own opinion.
The same goes for your family.
A family member might start to voice their opinions which might alter how you perceived the movie.
While changing your opinion on something isn’t necessarily a bad thing, you should be able to sit down with your thoughts first and analyze them.
Watching a movie alone gives you that opportunity.
Once the movie is over, you can go back home or to a restaurant and think about the movie that you saw.
Your mind can process all the emotions that the movie put you through.
You might come to the conclusion after a bit of analysis and time that the movie was, indeed, terrible.
You might find that the movie was incredible or purely entertaining.
Either way, going to the movies alone allows you the time to develop your own opinions before sharing them with others.
3 Negatives Of Going To The Movies Alone
1. No One To Discuss The Movie With
Forming your own opinions after you see a movie is nice, but for some people, it doesn’t quite scratch the itch of immediately needing to talk about the movie they just watched.
The benefit of watching movies with other people is that you’re able to discuss them afterwards.
You can head to a restaurant or just talk out in the lobby about the movie.
You might find that your friends had a different experience in watching that movie.
You can puzzle over any cliffhangers left in the film.
The negative aspect of going to the movies alone is that you don’t have anyone to discuss the film with afterward.
It can make watching the movie a bit less exciting since no one was there to share the experience with you.
2. You Might Feel Lonely
There’s no question that you might also feel a bit lonely if you go see a movie on your own.
Since many people go to the movies with others, you might feel a little out of place on your own.
When they laugh together, you might feel a bit lonely because of it.
Going to the movies alone can be a lonely experience until you become used to it.
3. No One To Share Movie Costs With
Perhaps one of the biggest negatives of going to the movies alone is that you have to pay for everything yourself.
When you see movies with a loved one or some friends, there’s always a chance that you’ll share the costs.
Someone might buy the tickets while someone else buys the snacks, for example.
That can make going to the movies a lot cheaper.
If you’re on a budget and seeing movies on your own, you might only be able to afford a few movies each month—if not each year.
Going to the movies alone can be a negative experience if you don’t have the funds to do so on your own.
Conclusion
Going to the movies alone isn’t weird, but it can feel weird.
That said, there are a few benefits and negatives of choosing to watch the movies alone.
You can decide whether the benefits outweigh the negatives.
