An Overdue Cinema Trip

One night on our commute home from work, as we passed the turn off for the cinema, my boyfriend and I decided we should go to see a film every other week.

It would be a convenient date night, and something fun to look forward to.

Unfortunately, we had that conversation in early 2020. We had no idea how much the world was about to change.

I was a bit wary . . .

Finally, over a year and a half later, life is slowly returning to normal and the cinema has opened their door again.

I was wary – we’d been avoiding rooms full of people up to only a few weeks earlier.

But I was happy to see that we were all going to be socially distanced inside.

I was more than happy! It meant that nobody could sit within a few seats of us on either side.

No annoying chatter, no loud crinkling bags, no bright phone lights nearby, no one kicking at my seat and no awkwardness around who gets to use which arm rest!

We scanned in with the code on our mobile phones and found our seats.

The whole world disappears

Everybody remembers their first trip to the cinema. This felt a little like that.

I’d forgotten how the whole world and all its worries fall away.

At home, it’s easy to pick up your phone and message a friend or look up where you’ve seen an actor before.

At the cinema, we silence all electronic distractions, switch them off and put them away in a bag or a pocket.

I’d forgotten the excitement when the lights go down, the title card comes up and the screen expands to its fullest ready for the film to begin.

The cinema experience

We could have watched anything and I would have fallen in love with the cinema experience all over again.

During lockdown, I’d convinced myself that staying in and watching a film in private was far better than going out to watch it.

I’m not so convinced anymore!

Find out what films are coming to a cinema near you here.

And discover which books with film adaptations we like best.