We’re at the time of the year in the 2026 movie schedule where all sorts of exciting films are drawing more people to movie theaters. This weekend, audiences can see how scary Backrooms is (especially compared to other recent hauntingly great horror hit Obsession). Or they can also check out The Mandalorian and Grogu and see if it becomes their new favorite Star Wars movie. As more titles hit cinemas, though, a number of attendees are going viral for sharing the same complaint.
One X user took to the platform and proclaimed that friendly etiquette while at the theaters was “dead” after seeing a ton of movies this past week. In her words:
Cinema etiquette is fucking dead. I've seen four films this week and every single theatre experience was the same: people whispering, phones going off, groups moving around in the middle of the film, loud noises... This isn't your home set up.
Mid-movie conversations can definitely be bothersome, and it would make sense for there to be an uptick now. The summer movie season in full swing, and tons of kids out of school as well. So showtimes at your cinemas are probably a bit more crowded than usual.
After the aforementioned user shared their complaint about talking amid screenings, more than a few others chimed in about adhering to the unspoken rules of seeing a film among strangers. Check out what other people had to say:
- “I've noticed this too. I mean it was always bad but it's even worse now. People just have full conversations. Happened with Mario Galaxy (which is kinda expected tbf) and Mandalorian too. They just talking like no one else is in the room it's weird.” - @LonelyGoomba
- “Bro, not to mention the ppl recording the fucking movie to post on their stories and opening tiktok every 5 seconds like just put ur fucking phone down” - @taerae_vision
- “Went to see Backrooms yesterday, and it was the first time in my life I had to walk out due to how horribly they were behaving. It was packed with teenagers who wouldn’t stop talking/shouting even after the film had started, throwing popcorn all around, talking on their phones” - @AndrianiJoann
- “This why I don’t go to theaters anymore.” - @NikeTechRanger
- “The real reason theatres are dying lol The experience is insufferable. Hire an usher to put these people in check!” - @NickDext
This is certainly an interesting question to ponder: “Is theater etiquette getting worse?” Speaking for myself, I found it interesting that I stumbled upon this thread just a day after having seen Backrooms. During that evening showing, I noticed quite a few things. There was a lot of talking behind me in the beginning leading to one person loudly shushing them. A few of the audience members in front of me checked their phones multiple times and one couple straight up left midway through the movie.
Based on the viral comments, some blamed COVID-19 and TikTok as contributing factors. Perhaps some people have gotten so used to creating a movie experience at home that they’re not as aware of how to act amidst a sea of other people. On top of that, others complained of people videotaping movie scenes perhaps for social media. Another idea floating around is that attention spans are so shot that people are having difficulties sitting still and not talking during a film's runtime.
While cinephiles talk about this alleged growing problem involving movie theaters, one possible solution being proposed is cinemas cracking down on theater etiquette by businesses adding ushers to showings. I could definitely see this helping the problem, and it wouldn’t have to apply to all screenings – just the particularly busy ones where they know the attendance will be high.
As we get deeper into summer in the coming months, a whole bunch of other big movies are on the way. That includes Toy Story 5, Supergirl, The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, so crowds will likely continue to be high at showings. Hopefully, those who pull up to see those massive flicks will show respect and not detract from others' experience by chatting.
