Movie theaters shutting down during the pandemic is annoying, but can you imagine them staying closed for 35 years? That’s what happened to Saudi in 1983 when an Islamic revival prompted authorities to ban cinemas.
We were here when cinemas made their grand reopening in the country in 2018. First there was one in Riyadh, then VOX opened a cinema in Jeddah. In the next 5 years, supposedly 600 more theaters will be rolled out. 🎞
So what’s it like to attend a movie here? Well, you have to plan ahead because movie showtimes and tickets release online a week ahead of time and, if there’s an anticipated film, it’ll be sold out within hours. (We’ve had a lot of furiously fast text exchanges with our babysitter as we try to book a day/time). The theaters are glitzy, clean, and spacious. They cater to the nocturnal type (aka Jeddawis) with showtimes like 2:50am and 5:40am, in addition to normal times. There are IMAX screens, 3D, and standard experiences – ticket prices range from $15 to $65, depending on how luxurious you want your 2~ hours to be.
Men and women are free to mingle in the theatre, a large percentage of people show up late (Arab time 🙃), and the volume seems to be louder than theaters in the US. Everyone watches the movie respectfully and leaves while the credits roll (we saw a movie in Rome and at the end everyone was dead silent and no one moved until the credits were over in their entirety 😐).
All the big films seem to make it here. Most are in English with Arabic subtitles, but some are in Arabic too. And of course they edit for content, which I don’t mind at all as long as it doesn’t affect the storyline. We got used to the editing on Saudia airline’s movies – inappropriate scenes are cut out and if too much skin is showing, they’ll blur it out (i.e. cleavage and women’s legs above the knee), albeit somewhat haphazardly.
Saudis have always consumed Western films, but in the privacy of their homes (or a weekend trip to Bahrain or Dubai). Now they are able to have a cinematic experience, the government makes money on something other than oil, and I get my movie popcorn and Icee. It’s a win-win-win. 😋🍿
