Bad behaviour at the cinema is at an all time high, survey finds
From chewing popcorn too loudly to being on your phone, cinema etiquette is a thing of the past
Cinema etiquette has reached a new low, with bad habits like talking and using ones phone contributing to the problem according to a new study.
A new survey conducted by CouponBirds in the US outlined how much bad behaviour has increased, and what behaviours bother audience members the most. Taken from a pool of 1,064 cinema-goers who went to see films in March 2024 following the 2023 hit blockbuster season, all was revealed.
The survey found that more than eight in ten people found they've become irritated by other audience members at the cinema, with 86.4% of people saying that behaviour has worsened in recent years. Prime examples that have been picked up on online include rowdiness at screenings of Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour movie that included singing, dancing and shining their phone lights throughout the movie.
Of the biggest grievances that some viewers have the top gripe is people talking throughout a film, which constituted 18.9% of audience members' frustrations. Other problems that audience members have with other viewers include disruptive children, which made up 17.5% of complaints, and the constant use of one's phone throughout a movie (15.7%).
Read more: Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ Film Ignites Debate Over Movie Theater Etiquette (The Hollywood Reporter, 3-min read)
The latter is particularly noticeable on social media, with social media platforms such as TikTok starting to become awash with footage of movies filmed within a cinema.. This could be seen with big film releases like Challengers, Oppenheimer and Barbie, not only can the action spoil a movie for individuals online but it also shows a blatant disregard for piracy.
The use of phones has often been called out in advertisements before movies, and a recent campaign for Deadpool and Wolverine sees Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's superheroes warn audience members not to use their phones during a movie.
Other more minor issues that cinema-goers complained about include tickets being too expensive, how loudly someone eats their food, and the state of cleanliness —or lack thereof— at the cinema.
The survey also examined which fanbases are seen as the most disruptive to audience members, with franchises like Star Wars, James Bond, and Scream taking the top 3 spots. This not only referenced the way people act in cinemas but also how they might be outside of it.
Read more: Kathleen Kennedy Says “A lot of Women” Who Step Into Male-Dominated ‘Star Wars’ World “Struggle” (The Hollywood Reporter, 2-min read)
Some Star Wars fans, for example. were called out for engaging in online trolling of women who work in the franchise, as well as those from minority backgrounds. Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy has voiced concern over this too, as she recently said that women in Star Wars "struggle" with the male-dominated fanbase.
