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I will typically be the first person to admit that something I do is weird. I used to have a napkin collection amassed from events I went to, and I fully embraced how strange it was. However, I know for a fact that seeing movies by myself does not fall anywhere near that end of the spectrum. It’s normal, and in some ways incredibly woke, to go see a movie by yourself.
This past week, there was a movie out that I really wanted to see and I had no one to drag along with me. For full transparency, I will admit that the film was Peter Rabbit. I know this is a children’s movie, please don’t make fun of me. I love rabbits and CGI, they are my two biggest weaknesses. I went to an evening showing in an all but empty theater and had a wonderful time.
The next day, I mentioned to a coworker that I had gone to see the film and the conversation somehow worked its way around to the fact that I had been flying solo. From his shock, you would have thought I told him I was soliciting people in the bathroom to let me touch their feet. His overreaction came from his belief that going to the movies alone is something a serial killer would do, not normal people.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been met with this response. I’ve seen about a dozen movies by myself over the years, and typically people who find out about it think it’s the strangest thing. Often, they feel bad for me which is irritating. I don’t need sympathy, I chose to go alone. There are plenty of times when I’ve gone to the movies with a date, a group of friends, or my family, but I’m not going to get boxed in with a film buddy/buddies being a necessity.
When you go to see a movie in theaters, it’s not a social occasion. You’re sitting in a dark room with your attention fully focused on the screen. You can’t have a conversation unless you want everyone within a five-seat radius to hate you. There isn’t a lot of downtime between the pre-film commercials and the credits. It’s not like you have to come early or sit around after to discuss the filmography and plot points. Realistically, you could enter and leave the theater without ever saying a word and it wouldn’t feel abnormal.
Besides, not everything needs to be a group activity. I don’t need someone to hold my hand every time I go out for coffee or shop at the mall. This truly isn’t any different. It’s an entertaining activity provided by a commerce location. Plus, sometimes it’s nice to have some space to enjoy an activity on your own. I didn’t have to share my large popcorn or coordinate show times with everyone’s schedules. I decided I wanted to go and I made it happen at my own convenience.
I get that you lose out on someone to talk about the film you saw on the ride home and sometimes that’s a bummer. But we also exist in a world of Twitter, Facebook, forums, Reddit, and a multitude of other channels that have more than enough people engaging in conversation. If I want to make a post about the McGregor Peter Rabbit dynamic and its accurate representation of foreign politics, I know there’s someone else online that’s having the same thought process and wants to discuss.
I hope my fellow lone movie-goers you can find some camaraderie in my experience. What we do isn’t odd or lame, it’s normal and should be treated as such. To anyone too nervous to take the plunge and go see a new release on their own, consider this the nudge you need. You won’t be the only person sitting alone. To quote Tobias Funke, there are dozens of us, dozens! Go to the movies tonight sans company and enjoy your cinematic solidarity. If you need a movie rec, Peter Rabbit threw down some real zingers you’d be unwise to miss out on. Just saying. .
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Kell
future soccer mom of America (AKA I drive a Volvo.) Miracle is my favorite movie and it should be yours too.
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Counterpoint: seeing Peter Rabbit alone does make you a psycho.
I do this a lot. It’s awesome seeing movies on the full screen, and you can focus better than watching a movie at home where I somehow always end up on my phone or get distracted by other things. I also go ice skating alone, it’s like $10 for 3 hours of public skate and just put on a good playlist. Actually, maybe I am a serial killer??
If you’re ever looking for a victim, sup?
Been making a point to do this more. Might cop a Wednesday night ticket rn.
g-pen in the parking lot, and a jacket full of snacks from the Whole Foods bulk section has treated me well many a times.
That being said, seeing peter rabbit solo is low key psycho…
This guy has the cheat codes for life
Seeing a movie alone is fine. Seeing Peter Rabbit alone is a red flag
I honestly prefer going to the movies alone than with other people.. But maybe that’s because my friends all feel the need to talk during movies
I think you just need new friends
Never understood this stigma. There’s nothing wrong with watching a movie by yourself at home so why is it different to do this at a movie theater? I went to see Annihilation with my girlfriend yesterday (side note – it’s one of the best and most original sci-fi movies I’ve seen in years) and there was a guy sitting on my left that was clearly there by himself. No one batted an eye.
Hey it’s me, the guy who went to see Annihilation by himself.
Hey it’s me, the guy who will probably do the same this week.
Hey dude, what did you think of it?
I will likely be seeing that myself this week! Glad you liked it—someone just told me they didn’t and I was surprised
That’s probably because it’s not a movie for everyone. It’s definitely quirky and you really have to be thinking the whole time during the movie to really understand it.
It didn’t have a good opening weekend, probably because it wasn’t advertised well at all, but hopefully now that people have seen it, word of mouth spreads!
Never done this but I’m a fan of concerts/music festivals solo. No poorly-coordinated friend groups to worry about, you can explore the venue at your leisure, and you don’t have to share the joints in your fanny pack
It sucks not having somebody to save your spot (though that doesn’t work perfectly if it’s sold out either), but I being able to pound beers, get my groove on, and stay through the fifth encore without worrying about other people in the squad not being into the music.
Couldn’t agree more. There’s nothing better than catching a weekend matinee before brunch or a Sunday evening movie to end the week on a good note.
late night movies alone are whats up