If you move to a new city or you just want to make new friends in the old city, you have several cultural activities to meet new people.
And the movie theater is one of them.
The cinema is more than just a big room with lots of seats facing a movie screen.
It serves as a meetup place within a community.
It’s a social hub that helps people get together and stay connected.
This was true way back in the time of the silent films and it is true today, when the movie industry has developed to offer so many movie genres.
In the following paragraphs, we will discuss more on how to expand your social circle by going at the movies.
The best advice to meet people in movie theater
If you’re not that confident on your social skills, this article is here to help you immerse yourself amongst new people.
Making a new friend is not as easy after a certain age as it was when you were a kid.
That’s especially true if you are an introvert.
Luckily, movie theaters are suited for introverts, since in these places is socially acceptable to go alone.
That won’t make you feel out of place.
However, if you want to meet new people at the cinema, you will have to know a couple of tips and tricks about how and when to strike up a conversation with strangers.
Here are the best advice to meet people in a movie theater.
It’s obviously that you can’t chat to strangers and make new friends during the movies.
But on the other hand, if you sit next to someone you’ve already established a connection with, you can live the movie together.
You can communicate through reactions and emotions.
Watching the movie with someone and sharing the experience makes everything more fun.
But for that you will have to mingle with people and form a bond.
There are several options you have for meeting people at the cinema before the movie trailers start playing.
What’s interesting in these day and age is the fact that you can meet someone at the movies before you even go there.
The internet is full of Facebook groups for local cinephiles.
Search one of these groups and join it.
You will see there that people discuss about the recent films they’ve watched and also, they plan going to the movies in larger groups.
You can easily join one of those parties, but what I recommend is to be active on the group beforehand.
All groups welcome newcomers with enthusiasm when they are active in the online community.
Commenting for a week or so on the movie related discussion posts in those groups will get the online moviegoers more used to you and you will integrate easier in their groups when it comes to go to the movies together.
This kind of online friendship is a healthy one, because it can easily turn into real life social interaction.
Mind you, to start conversation in a particular movies’ group you need to be aware of the best movies, showtimes, or now showing movies so you can captivate attention of folks who love movie theatre and feature films.
Moveover, its always a nice gesture to buy tickets in advance for the other person you would like to meet or get moviepass.
It is also appreciated if you view trailer and check for ticket sales before going so you their hero.
All movies do not have captions and some are silent films.
Thus, you should first select the film to watch i.e. short films, action, thriller, sci-fi, etc. , and decide the movie screen to have a great experience.
A cool aspect about the film industry nowadays is the diversity it offers.
Not all movies are for all people.
Based on this diversity, you can choose movies that will put you in touch with like minded people.
If you are a diehard comics fan, feature films like Captain Marvel, Aquaman or Avengers: Endgame are perfect for making new friends who are into this subculture.
Any Fast and Furious installment is perfect to make friends who are into nice cars.
And if you’re into movies with more depth, there should be a local artsy cinema where people like you will mingle before and after the screening of a foreign film or independent movie.
Now let’s say you’re about to leave the house and go to the local theater with the intention of making new friends.
A good tip is to not buy tickets online.
The line for movie tickets is a perfect place where you can start a conversation with other people.
And the rules of interacting with new people here are the same as everywhere.
Make eye contact, say hi and start talking about the movie you two are waiting in line for.
You might feel awkwardness at first, but it’s not the case.
If you feel like someone is not in the mood for making new friends don’t feel bad for yourself.
Not everybody is in the mood for social interaction.
There will be plenty for meeting new ones.
Another opportunity to talk to people at the movies is in the snacks like.
This line can get pretty long, especially during the premieres of the best movies.
That will give you enough time to start a conversation with potential friends.
If you kick it off well with a fellow moviegoer, you can offer to pay for their snacks.
They most probably won’t accept, but it’s a random act of kindness which can help form new friendships pretty quick.
While waiting for the movies to start, you can use the opportunity to talk about the film to the people around you.
All movies start with commercials, which will last for a while and nobody is really watching them.
It’s something about the environment of a movie theater that makes people more approachable.
I guess you already know that you cannot start chatting with people during the movie, but you can live the emotions of the screening with them.
Watching a movie is more fun when you’re in a large group.
Something about being in large groups makes people let out their emotions and reactions more easily, especially when watching a new comedy or an ecranisation of a horror novel.
And after the movie ends, you still have a couple of shots to meet a new person.
You can say hello to the people who sat beside you and with whom you already shared an experience.
You can change opinions and critique about the movie, but don’t get to enthusiast about it and don’t trash talk it.
Keep it casual and personal.
Don’t just copy whatever you read on Rotten Tomatoes.
In case you went to the movie with the people you meet through the online movie club, this is the perfect opportunity to set up future meetings.
Another important aspect of how to make friends at the movies is about the time you go watch them.
Avoid going during a matinee screening.
Matinees are usually for family movies.
People go there with their kids and they’re focus on them rather than mingling with strangers.
And if you are looking for introverts who don’t have such a broaden social circle, then a movie on a Friday or Saturday night, when everybody else is out partying, is a perfect opportunity to meet other people who are looking for friends.
How to flirt at the movies
Besides being a perfect place to meet people for platonic new friendships, the movie theater can also be a place for singles to meet locals.
You can introduce yourself and start chatting with single ladies at the movies with ease.
It’s a perfect place where you can meet all kinds of good girls who are girlfriend material.
Based on the movie screening you will be attending, you can stumble across girls who are sharing your cultural interests.
All you need to know beforehand is how to spot who is approachable.
In another article we will discuss in depth on how to flirt at the movies.
