No Stupid Questions

Pretty much anything that's not first or second row is probably fine. Movie theaters usually aren't that big, like a concert hall. There won't be obstructions, either. Those center seats are prime, but there's not a huge difference, other than if you're way too close in row 1 or 2.

I know you didn't ask this bit, but be prepared for it to be loud. Like really loud. If you've any aversions there it might be worth taking some earplugs just in case.

Like, feel it in your bones loud sometimes.

Don’t overthink it - most are still Available. Stay away from edges and corners

See that cluster of already taken seats? That's the choice spot.

• Closer to the center is always best.
• Moving back is preferable to moving forward.
• Front row is the worst, because you'll be straining your neck to look up.
• Far sides are kind of bad because you end up viewing the movie from an angle.
• Back row is hit or miss depending on the theater, if the seats are right up against the wall you may not be able to recline them.
• In my opinion, sound quality can be hit or miss depending on the theater and what you're seeing. Video quality is pretty consistent.
• While it's nice to have snacks and drinks during a movie, they are often a big rip off (like $8 soda and $20 popcorn kind of ripoff!), so just know that if you plan on getting snacks it'll cost a lot more than you think. A lot of people sneak stuff into the theater. Whether it's worth it to you is your call.
• People these days seemingly don't know how to watch a movie without being annoying. If someone nearby is bothering you, I suggest just moving seats to an open seat. Don't let it ruin your movie.
• I think as TVs get bigger and better, the movie theater experience is much less impressive today than it used to feel when I was a kid in the 90s! It's hard for me to want to go to the theater when I compare it to the experience of just watching a movie on my home theater system. It's probably still worth the experience though!

I used to tune the speakers in movie theaters.

If it’s a Dolby certified theater there will be a chair that has a placard on it, that’s where the mic was placed to tune the theater. It will always be center, about 2/3rds of the way back. Most other certifications mirror this in some way.

We did THX certification and that was a little bit more broad, we wanted the “sweet spot” to be an area, not a single seat. This is why a THX certified room will look different than most other theater rooms, because it’s designed for maximum coverage. This also means we are sacrificing sound quality for sound consistency, making sure every seat sounds the same. With that being said we completely ignored the margins, they were called quarter margins and anything within 25% of the edge was disqualified from primary readings. We would take secondary readings from the edge, but that was just to verify that there were no glaring problems, not for actual certifications.

In short… central-ish is good for any movie theater.

it depends on where in the world you are and what type of theater you're going to. in many theaters the front row is the best row. in an American shit chain theater, the front row might be way too close, because they just want to get as many people in there as possible. you need to know the place

Best seat is beginning of last third in the middle. Like when you have 12 rows you take row 9 and choose the middle seats. They are the best and this is where they sit when they test things and watch the premiere.

Centermost is always the best viewing angle. If that's taken, move back, not closer. The back doesn't give great pictures quality but front rows are basically unwatchable

Idk... I've literally never been to a movie theater...

Each one varies, but generally, movies theaters are descending down stairs. Meaning, you go in at the top, and the next row is a step down or two, and the the next row are more steps down. Then, at the bottom, there's flat ground, and there are more seats on the flat ground closer to the screen. The very front row is ironically the worst seats in the house, because you have to crane your neck up.

The best row is generally the last row of the steps, closest to the screen. There is typically a bar in front of it (so you don't fall off the step). The reason it's the best row is that it's the closest you can get with nobody in front of you- the most direct view-. Nobody is in front of you because you're a little higher than the seats at the bottom.

You kind of infer where the bar is based on the layout of the map. You can see on the map, the center row where it goes from wide to narrow? That's where I would bet the end of the steps are. You can see that's where a bunch of people have purchased tickets already, towards the center. That's because it's the best place to sit.

Once you're in the theater, you'll have a better idea of the layout of that theater, and you'll be able to exactly pinpoint where you should sit next time. Just based off the layout, I would feel comfortable with either the 5th or 6th from the back row, and I would try to be towards the center but not exactly next to someone else.

Is that a rousing game of space invaders?

IMAX has better resolution than standard. With standard films, they can look low-res to some (especially gamers who might be used to higher resolutions).

As a wheelchair user, what a shitty theatre setup. The first few rows are always too close and you have to lean back to see the center of the screen. Although that is a small theatre, so... I'd say 4th row is probably good as a guess.

I'd never go all the way back to the wall in a larger theatre, but that one I might. And I highly prefer center.

Center isle, center seat.

For me 3 or 4 rows from the front is ideal. I don't ever feel it strains my neck personally and it makes it easier to appreciate the detail of the film.

With IMAX more than regular theaters, you prefer to sit further back from the screen. Unless you like craning your neck.

When I was younger and went almost weekly it was always front row, as close to the middle as possible. Now I still prefer kind of close but not front row close. Still try and get centered.

Further to the back to me feels more like watching tv, but I’ll sit back there if my friends prefer it and be fine.

If I were to pick from your map it’d be directly behind the center handicap seats.

There are some responses already, but I will offer yet a different one: From a technical viewpoint, middle-middle is best. The seat in the middle of the middle row.

The reason is because movie theatres need to get calibrated: The sound and the picture get adjusted for the best possible viewing/sound experience. This calibration process usually targets the middle of the room, because this ensures that even the edges will at least have a decent sound and a decent picture. Nonetheless the middle-middle position will be where sound and picture are optimal. You sit at the centre of the area targeted by the sound system and where are at an optimal distance from the screen for the sharpest picture.

Of course, that is theoretical. Specific movie theatres may have a variety of reasons to go for a calibration that favours different spots and whether people want to sit in the middle-middle is a wholly different question.

Important question: what movie are you gonna go see?

Like someone else said, it really depends on the theater chain and the type of seats. If they are reclining, chances are the distance between rows is larger. Best options would be middle row, one row closer, or up to two rows behind. If it’s IMAX, then it’s definitely safer to go for a farther row vs closer, and even the last row shouldn’t be that bad if you don’t have any other choice.

I’m also guessing based on the layout that the first 5 rows are at ground level so you’ll be looking up the entire time. So I would suggest anywhere starting from row 6.