The cinema is a magical place.

Even when I was younger, I thought this and the awe it inspires remains.

That feeling of taking a seat in the dark, clutching popcorn and a cold overly sugary drink – then letting yourself fall into the hands of a director as you step into the world, they’ve crafted in a production is unmatched. Yes, sometimes you may leave a little confused and/or disappointed (as is the case more and more often these days!) but that initial spark of excitement still remains regardless of the outcome.

As an adult in particular, I like that I have a reason to switch off my phone and dive into another world – even if it’s momentary. No distractions in view – just you and the film.

But. But. But.

WHEN DID CINEMAS START GETTING SO EXPENSIVE?? 😭

Going to a cinema in South London to watch The Colour Purple earlier this year, I was dumbstruck at how much I had to fork out. Between my friend and I, we paid £60.00 overall – half spent on the tickets and the other was the total expense for food. The price almost made me sick. It’s interesting this has become the case, considering that cinema, in my mind anyway, has always been a cheap form of entertainment for the masses.

And I’m aware many cinemas had a very tough time during the pandemic, so I wonder if this inflated pricing will compensate for this loss and slowly build back their status. Yet, it sucks they have to do this at the customer’s expense. These days even if it’s a film I know I would enjoy, I have to question if I really want to splash the money to do so. Or am I happy to wait a year before it’s shown on TV, or wait a few months until it inevitably hits streaming platforms?

This ranting post was inspired by me looking online recently at tickets to watch a film and being quoted nearly £20.00. Keep in mind if you buy snacks (sometimes sneaking them in doesn’t work!) you’re looking at spending around (£10 -12 more.) As you suspect – I looked at the price, blinked, and then closed the tab again.

Looks like the cinema won’t be seeing me for a while then.

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Are you a cinema lover? What was the last thing you saw?

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Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko