A film buff has urged Brits to 'stay at home' if they're guilty of this common cinema habit.
Going to the pictures is now a rare special treat for many of us, unwilling to splurge out £15 on a ticket and a small loan for a bag of slightly stale popcorn unless it really is a must-watch film. In the last year, we've had some pretty big hits that have quickly filled every seat in the theatre - from Barbie to Oppenheimer.
However, an evening watching the blockbuster can easily be tarnished if those around you fail to follow the unwritten rules of cinema etiquette - and film fanatic Aadi Mudhar is absolutely sick of it...
Ranting on TikTok, Mudhar shared his recent experience of going to the cinema - admitting that he takes his film-watching 'very seriously'. "I've got to be sat in my seat before the film starts - I can't walk into a film if it's already started. I'd never do that..." he said.
"But like just be respectful if you're going to be coming in late - be mindful that there are other people [already seated] watching the film. Don't come in waving your flashlight on your phone to find your seat; it's not our problem you're late, that's on you. You've got the shuffle around in the dark and figure out where you're meant to be sitting because if I'm being honest, it's such a distraction."
Mudhar added that his ultimate pet peeve is when people speak throughout the entire film - but that he feels too guilty for telling them to 'shut up'. However, it's clear he's not the only one bugged by the rude habit.
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"It feels like it got worse recently, very frustrating," one viewer fumed. Another agreed, commenting: "I deliberately go to the cinema several weeks after the release date and at an odd time so that it's nearly empty." While a third added: "I got an Odeon membership this year so I'm going all the time and have noticed that in almost every film someone is acting up! And [it's] so much worse when I'm in London too. No respect."
Others were quick to share their nightmare experiences in the cinema, which included one person talking on the phone for a 'good minute'. "The worst I've ever experienced: A couple came in late, sat down, proceeded to open up a briefcase, turn on a little light and sift through paperwork and discuss it for the entire movie," one person recalled. Another complained a man was snoring whilst they were trying to watch Godzilla X Kong.
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