Going to the movies after school or at the end of a long week was a favorite pastime for Millennials and Gen-Xers.
Until the pandemic, it was a pretty affordable experience, assuming the moviegoer was mindful about their purchases at the concessions stand.
Since the pandemic, purchasing a movie ticket has become substantially more expensive, not to mention the increasing costs of concessions, other merchandise, and even gas prices to get to the theater in the first place.
Eager for an evening out, TikToker @kelseycorky shared that she'd spent more than $60 on movie tickets and drinks for herself and a friend to see a movie at AMC Theaters.
But when they walked into the theatre room to find their seats, the TikToker felt her skin crawl, questioning if they should even stay for the movie.
Panning her camera around, the red cloth seats that were popular in the early 2000s were visibly stained and compressed from use. The cleaning crew had also skipped over a lot of trash on the seats, in the drink cups, and on the floor.
The TikToker questioned:
"AMC, you guys good?"
You can watch the video here:
Viewers hoped that TikToker @kelseycorky shared her concerns with management and not just TikTok.
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@kelseycorky/TikTok
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@kelseycorky/TikTok
Others were shocked that the theater still had cloth seats, since most have moved to easy-to-clean leather or faux leather.
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But mostly, people used this as an example for why they only watch movies from the comfort of their own home now.
@kelseycorky/TikTok
@kelseycorky/TikTok
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@kelseycorky/TikTok
Prices are inevitably going to go up over time with inflation and since establishments have to pay their bills, not to mention the added cost of having to pay for rights to present a film.
That said, a moviegoer should be able to go to a theater to watch without worrying about the cleanliness of the space they're walking into. If that's going to be an added concern, even more people are going to deem going to the movies as too expensive when they can just stay comfortable and clean at home.
