There has always been a certain underlying taboo that comes with going to see a movie alone. For many people it is certainly not their first choice of pastime and can, at first, seem like an overly solitary experience.
Nevertheless, there aren’t many activities in my routine that have felt more freeing and autonomous than seeing a movie in a cinema on my own, engulfed by the cozy darkness of a theatre.
For students, the stressful preoccupation with a seemingly endless onslaught of deadlines, attendances and responsibilities has likely sunk its teeth in by now. With that, it can feel challenging to find time to make plans at this point in the semester, particularly with a group whose members are all equally busy.
The adjustment to a university workload can feel all-encompassing and at times suffocating, thus a possible hobby to escape from this is going to the movies, particularly on your own.
Seeing a movie with a group for blockbuster releases can certainly be a memorable experience — the famous “Barbenheimer” craze of last year comes to mind — but the freedom of going to the cinema on your own accord without having to coordinate schedules like a deep exhale of relief.
The term “mindfulness” is often vague and overused making it difficult to practically understand and integrate into our habits to achieve tangible results. From my own experience, seeing a movie alone is an effective and rewarding way to achieve this feeling of mindfulness.
For a couple hours, I am free from mobile phone notifications, distractions and responsibilities. I’m left to focus on only what is being presented on screen, and how I react to what I’m watching.
Visiting a cinema is an active choice to partake in a public event. It’s a setting where you are surrounded by people all sharing the same experience. As such, it fosters a more active viewing experience than simply watching a film from the comfort of your home.
As cliché as it may sound, attending a movie alone can provide emotional catharsis as well. The uninterrupted experience of paying attention to a film can be grounding and better allow you to relate the story to yourself, giving easier access to your emotional reactions. Despite being in a public space, there are surprisingly little distractions between yourself and the screen; you are focused on how you’re responding to a story without the knowledge of someone next to you.
There are several local cinemas surrounding Brock University for students to visit, namely Landmark Cinemas at the Pen Centre and the Cineplex Cinemas in Niagara Falls and Welland. However, the most community-oriented of them all is The Film House in downtown St. Catharines near Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.
Located on the bottom level of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, The Film House has served as a staple in fostering Niagara’s community of cinephiles and casual enjoyers alike. It makes solo moviegoing a more communal experience, fostering an environment of shared admiration and curiosity for cinema.
The Film House platforms up-and-coming independent cinema, providing access to a range of films before they receive widespread theatre releases.
In celebration of Halloween, The Film House is hosting numerous themed screenings including Ghostbusters, Hocus Pocus and the annual participatory screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The cinema will also be hosting screenings for BrockTV’s Render This Film Festival on Nov. 7. The festival occurs annually and provides students the chance to work in teams to write, film and produce a short film.
From Friday, Nov. 15 to Sunday, Nov. 17, the cinema will host the Mighty Niagara Film Festival by the Niagara Artists Centre, showcasing a series of films by filmmakers with connections to Niagara’s history and cultural scene.
As strange as it might seem to go to movies alone, the experience of being a solo attendee is a refreshing and rewarding experience that can improve mindfulness and independence.
In the end, you’re never truly seeing a movie alone if there is an audience around you. Maybe that’s the source of comfort after all.