Why I prefer going to movies alone

This opinion may be controversial, but I prefer to go to movies alone these days. Not all of them, and not all of the time, but there are many moments when I have been thankful to be in a theater by myself with strangers — and I’d like to tell you why.

I cry at everything.

“There are many moments when I have been thankful to be in a theater by myself with strangers — and I’d like to tell you why. ”

Movies I have cried during include Ferdinand, Woman in Gold, and Avengers: Infinity War. Movies I have outright blubbered at include Call Me By Your Name, Coco, A Tale of Love and Darkness, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I am an emotional creature, prone to tears quite easily where others are not. (I assume they are made of stone, and I assume they think I am made of jelly.) So, if I know it’s going to be a Terms of Endearment level of outright weeping, it’s just better to solo that showing.

I binge movies.

Each January since 2015, after the Academy Award nominations are announced, I make a list of all of the nominated films I haven’t yet seen and try to watch them all before the awards are given out. #OscarBinge has been a delight for me to discover new movies and see films I never would have seen normally. Before I started doing that, I could count on one hand the number of movies I had seen solo. Now, it’s in the double digits and then some.

I have seen 28 to 32 movies across roughly 30 days in January and February for the last four years. It requires precision planning, a love of movies, and a high comfort level with sitting for extended periods of time.

Basically, it was made for me.

I mean, I made up Oscar Binge, so it was definitely made for me. But, not everyone is down for seeing three films in one day (some days are only one). In fact, most folks think that’s a leeeetle much, frankly. I don’t — I love it. It plays to my competitive streak, and I get to plan. Win-Win.

I can go whenever I want

Sometimes I prefer to just go to a movie at 10:00 am on a Saturday morning. Or, in my old job, on a Tuesday at 4:30 in the afternoon. Very few people have lives that are built for that. Mine is — or was. Crowds are practically non-existent, and seats are usually up for grabs even at the last minute. This is not, however, true for kids films, so caveat emptor on kiddie flicks if a dozen 9-year-olds taking up the row in front of you at Shazam isn’t your bag. I also have had a couple of movie pass options where I get to see lots of films on the cheap (in case you were wondering what it costs to see 30 movies, it ain’t cheap.) Not everyone has these passes, and I don’t expect them to invest in it just to watch at my pace.

People want to talk.

Sometimes, it takes me a while to process a film I’ve just seen. Sometimes, it takes me a while to recover from the tears. Many times, I don’t always want to dissect a movie in a detailed post-mortem. Usually, I want to live with it as my own experience for a little while. Revel in how good the sets and costumes were, or the actors and dialogue, or the CGI and stunts. Before they tell me what they hated or loved or judged or would have done differently, I like to enjoy the moment.

Just try to not talk about the movie you just saw with your theater-going companion. Really, try. I get to skip that. Oh, and don’t get me started about talking during the movie. That’s a whole separate sin I cannot even cope with. Or using their phones. (eye roll)

I get to pick my favorite seat

I generally prefer to sit on the left and in the back of a theater without stadium seating. If it does have the stadium stair-steps, I like middle rows on the side closest to the doors. My favorite movie companion prefers to be in the dead center of the theater. Another likes to sit in the back on the right (we get along). Yet another always wants to sit on the aisle (my preferred seat). Without them to contend with, I can sit quite happily wherever the mood strikes me. I also never recline in my seat in the fancy theaters, and it’s weird to be surrounded by friends who always do. It just is. Also, when I’m really into a movie, I tend to physically lean forward into it — it’s just my way of engaging with the screen more — and that’s best done not in a recliner. There’s squeaking that’s weird.

People chew ice.

crunch crunch bit of dialogue I miss crunchcrunchcrunch important plot point crunch crunch ‘Nuff said.

Do you ever go to movies alone? Why or why not?