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Started going to the movies alone...

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I've been to a few movies alone and love it. I only went on a weekday a few weeks after release, though, so it was a bit different than on release night. Both movies I saw (Prisoners and Grand Budapest Hotel), the whole theater had a total of 3 people, including me.
 
I've never done this. Usually anything I got excited about was a shared interest with friends of mine (or, before that, I had to go with my parents of course). As an adult now, I don't see most of my friends all that often. There are a few big ones that we'll get together and go see. For the most part though, I just use it as an excuse to save the money that a movie ticket would cost. I should change it though, and start seeing more movies. I'd probably like that.

I had also never gone to eat alone (unless I was picking up food for someone else or using a coupon) until I started working. Again, it just always seemed like a convenient excuse to save money. I changed that when I started working though.
 
Cow Mengde said:
I saw Walking With Dinosaurs in December all by myself because I didn't want my friends to suffer this horrible movie (knew it was shit beforehand). I was the only adult single male in the theater filled with parents bringing their 3 - 5 year old kids. I felt like the world's biggest pedophile.

Edit - In hindsight, it wasn't too bad. It was the audience that made me uncomfortable (and shitty movie).
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that sounds sad and depressing
 
I've long felt the idea that you have to go to movies with other people or else you're a 'loser' is odd. I love watching movies with friends, but if other people are busy I don't mind to go by myself.

Comedies are more fun to enjoy with people, but if it's something like an art house flick there's not much that sitting with friends adds to the experience (other than talking about it with them afterward).
 
I was never alone in the cinema, but I should be going thanks to this.

Now this isn't related to alone, but me and ex were at the Repo! The Genetic Opera 2008 and there were three people in total with us included in that number.
 
Cow Mengde said:
I saw Walking With Dinosaurs in December all by myself because I didn't want my friends to suffer this horrible movie (knew it was shit beforehand). I was the only adult single male in the theater filled with parents bringing their 3 - 5 year old kids. I felt like the world's biggest pedophile.

Edit - In hindsight, it wasn't too bad. It was the audience that made me uncomfortable (and shitty movie).
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I felt like this when I went to see the Lego Movie, lol. Except the Lego Movie was great.
 
Ace Harding said:
It's because you are afraid people will assume you are sad and lonely and don't have any friends. I definitely have anxiety about that, because the same thought runs through my mind when I see someone alone at a theater. Yet I would like to be able to go to a theater by myself too.
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I get what you are saying..but who gives a fuck what other people think?
I don't need to explain to anyone that my girlfriend is at work and I am killing time watching "Zero Dark Thirty".

Also..I live in NYC, so seeing movies solo is not uncommon.
 
I also have the misfortune of having friend's who will be hyper critical in the most boring ways possible, so if we see a movie together, whenever the movie is mentioned they go on a tirade about smaller shit I couldn't care less about. When I go alone I can just go "Yeah I really liked it", no having to get into needless discussions about plot-details that don't matter in the grand scheme of things.

I love movies, probably my biggest passion, but hearing someone complain about how inaccurate a movie is in portraying guns from WWII, I happily refrain from.
 
Fudgepuppy said:
I also have the misfortune of having friend's who will be hyper critical in the most boring ways possible, so if we see a movie together, whenever the movie is mentioned they go on a tirade about smaller shit I couldn't care less about. When I go alone I can just go "Yeah I really liked it", no having to get into needless discussions about plot-details that don't matter in the grand scheme of things.

I love movies, probably my biggest passion, but hearing someone complain about how inaccurate a movie is in portraying guns from WWII, I happily refrain from.
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Yeah, when I went to see 300: Rise of An Empire with my friends, immediately after the movie they were complaining about the sex scene, saying it "didn't fit the tone" and was stupid. Like really? It was the best scene in the movie and totally fit what Eva Green's character would do!
 
Yes OP - I've been going to the movies by myself for over a year - it's a fun way to relax, and I too used to get anxious about meeting up, having time to get everyone's snacks, if they were going to like it, or if they were going to chat.

Sue me that I prefer going solo instead of with friends. I see them enough - the movies don't need to be a social event.
 
I used to love doing this.

I worked overnight so I'd always see the 10am movie by myself before I slept for the day. No one else was ever there and it was always such a pleasant experience.
 
Obviously the movie itself isn't a social event, but afterwards me and my friends like to talk about the movie and how we thought it was, etc. Usually grab drinks or food afterwards. I don't think there is anything particularly wrong about seeing it by yourself, but I can't see myself paying ~$10 to do it, especially when I have Netflix and the like at home.
 
One of the best things about going to the cinema is share your feelings with other people friends, family once you watched the movie...
 
Ermac said:
Yeah, when I went to see 300: Rise of An Empire with my friends, immediately after the movie they were complaining about the sex scene, saying it "didn't fit the tone" and was stupid. Like really? It was the best scene in the movie and totally fit what Eva Green's character would do!
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Coming out from Noah was really horrible. I really liked the movie for how uncompromised it felt, for better or worse, but everyone else was just complaining about smaller stuff they thought was stupid and completely disregarding the context. Noah wasn't a perfect film, but I found it to be fascinating and beautiful enough to be worth it. They didn't think the same and I had to hear them bitch about it everytime the movie was mentioned.

Like we were standing in the office, and my boss comes and asks "So how was Noah?" and before I even have a second to respond, my friend next to me comes in and just blares "It fucking sucked, Noah was stupid and it didn't make sense".
 
Fudgepuppy said:
...And I don't understand why I didn't start until now. Normally I get anxious about what my friends think of the movie as I don't want to make them feel like they've wasted their time. Just saw Godzilla and it was amazing.

I've talked about it with a lot of friends, who have all said "Man, I wish I could go alone, but I can't". No one knows why they can't as they agree going to the movies isn't supposed to be a social thing. You sit next to each other, stuffing your face with popcorn and shut up. Why do you have to do that with friends?
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Good on you man but i dont agree with your final sentence, going to a movie with likeminded people is awesome.
 
Yeah, it feel nice going to the movie alone.
No need to wait for others, no need to think about seating, no awkward silence when the movie is so damn bad.

i still enjoy watching with companion though.
 
Movies are great alone. Sometimes when you're maybe out of town on business or something and don't want to hang and and drink with co workers it's the best way to spend an evening. With a movie, I don't think there's any stigma there. Now, eating out alone...for whatever reason many people do not feel like you should ever do that.
 
I'm going by myself and having a good time this saturday, I saw pacific rim by myself and didnt regret it.
 
I like having company for the movies, I tried going alone a couple of times and I felt weird.

Not saying I won't go if I really want to see a movie and no one wants to but I prefer it with company.
 
MedIC86 said:
Good on you man but i dont agree with your final sentence, going to a movie with likeminded people is awesome.
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If the social experience is that you see the same movie you can talk about afterwards, I don't see why you have to see it the same time. I'm not looking at them when I'm interested in the movie.

When I go alone, the fact that I can go whenever I want without having to going through the hassle of loaing money and such, it just makes me enjoy the movie more.

I don't have a problem watching movies with others, or discussing movies, but the whole theater-going experience can be so incredibly obtuse when you're a larger group.
 
Yeah, I used to be one of those weird people who couldn't enjoy a theatrical showing without at least one other person. But then I saw Drive by myself in a completely empty theater and my lord... best movie experience I think I ever had. I just soaked up that flick. I wouldn't have been as big of a fan otherwise, I'm sure of it.

Horror movies and comedies are social events though.
 
I like going with friends cuz I like looking at people's faces during exciting parts and it seems less creepy looking at my friends instead of strangers.
 
Fudgepuppy said:
If the social experience is that you see the same movie you can talk about afterwards, I don't see why you have to see it the same time. I'm not looking at them when I'm interested in the movie.
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If you are thinking like that you can say that about a lot of stuff in your life, but to each his own i guess. I just like sharing experiences with people at the same time (even movies)
 
I usually ask one or two people if they want to go first and If no one bits, I roll alone. Going alone is cool too.
Still can't eat alone in a restaurant though.
 
I've gone by myself multiple times. The usual excuse from friends= No money. So one day I said Fuck it, I'm going to watch this goddamn movie. I honestly didn't mind it, I didn't have to hear whispers every second. I'm also a Germaphobe so sharing drinks is a big No no, Which usually happens when I'm with friends is that they take a sip without asking because they know that I'll say NO.
 
I go alone from time to time. it's mostly because my friends don't enjoy the films that I enjoy but I still want to see 'em in theaters.
 
MedIC86 said:
If you are thinking like that you can say that about a lot of stuff in your life, but to each his own i guess. I just like sharing experiences with people at the same time (even movies)
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Going to a concert is a unique experience you want to share. A movie is always a movie, even if you see it alone or not.

Not saying I refrain from bringing friends with me, but that going to the movies alone isn't awkward or horrible. With a lot of movies it can be great.

Can't for the life of me imagine watching any Wes Anderson film with friends, and yet Grand Budapest Hotel was amazing when watching it alone in the theater.
 
I do it alll the time. I watch a ton of movies much more than anyone else I know. So, I go to movies i don't think anyone will want to go to by myself and then I go watch movies my friends want to see with them.
 
Main reason why I go alone is I just see them right after work since I see them for free. Scheduling with other friends is a pain because we're always working.
 
I like going alone better. I can just swing by in the morning, catch a movie then go about my day. With friends I always get stuck going at night when it is loud and crowded, and we don't really talk anyways.
 
90% of the time I go to the movies alone. I got a movie pass, so for €26,- a month I can go to the movies as many times as I want. I just find it really relaxing and I dunno, but I just find the experience a bit more immersive. I also like doing double-features when I have a day off, so the theater is pretty empty because everybody's either way school or work.

The other 10% of the films I see is usually either with my uncle or one or two of my friends, but afterwards we usually have a pretty interesting in-depth discussion about the films we see.

So either way works for me, but I'm perfectly fine with going to the movies alone.
 
I've recently started doing this too, and I find that I actually enjoy it quite a bit. Of course I'm always happy to see a movie with a friend, but if I want to see a movie and no one else is game I don't feel like I enjoy the theater any less alone.
 
i usually do it in summer, when my family is on vacation and i have to work. I can go whenever i want, take any seat i want and ofc see whatever i want without worrying about other people tastes... Also air-conditioning :)
 
I've done it several times and every time feel weird, I just feel all depressed and alone. Movies are supposed to be a social event with friends, sure you don't talk during the movie but you discuss it after and share food and drinks while watching.
 
I have never done that in my entire life, one of the few place I feel judged going by myself even though EVERYTHING else I feel fine when it go alone.
But to the movies feels weird to me.

If I can't get anyone to see the movie that I want to see at that time, I just skip it and watch it at home a few months later.
 
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