Do you have a go-to seat at the movies? Maybe the centre for the perfect view, or the aisle for a quick exit. Maybe you want a quiet corner, away from distractions. Or maybe you just grab whatever’s left – especially if you’re with friends and want to sit together. You may not think of yourself as picky, but a consumer study insights say otherwise. The study says that moviegoers go for the same kind of seats they’ve been choosing for years without realising it. So, where’s the best seat in the theatre? Depends on who you ask. We look at what industry insiders say.
Seat selection is far from uniform, depends on personality: Study
Recently, a ticketing platform dug into audience’s seat preferences. Using years of data, they launched a campaign showing just how varied and personal seat selection really is. What they found was less about trends but more about personality, and far from uniform. The study revealed, “Some moviegoers prefer aisle seats for easy movement, while others opt for corners to minimise distractions. While front-row seats might be overlooked in one auditorium, they could be highly sought-after in another where plush recliners offer premium comfort.”
Brian Bonnick, chief technical officer for IMAX, shared in an interview that although the IMAX system is designed to minimise variation from seat to seat, he still prefers a seat “about two-thirds of the way from the screen, right in the middle”
Are the last few rows the best?
Some moviegoers are very particular about where they sit – what’s the point of watching a film, they ask, if you’re not picking your favourite seat? Raj Bansal, veteran exhibitor and cinema business analyst, says seat selection has evolved with technology. “Where you sit in a cinema hall has changed,” he explains, “Earlier, people would gravitate toward seats closer to the loudspeakers for better sound. That’s no longer an issue. Most auditoriums now have excellent audio across the board. The last two or three rows are still the most preferred, especially when gifting tickets.” Filmmakers and tech experts around the world might not always agree on the best seat in a cinema, but there’s a general consensus that the second or third row from the back, smack in the middle, tends to be the sweet spot. During a screening of Raazi in Delhi, filmmaker Meghna Gulzar declared, “Always the second-to-last row. Never the last.”
The middle seats in rows at 2/3rd the distance between the screen and the last row are considered the best
A case for the front row
Bhuvan, a moviegoer explains, “The whole point of going to the movies is to immerse yourself in another world. When I watch something on TV, there’s no one between me and the screen – and it’s the same with a phone or tablet. But in a cinema hall, if I end up in the back rows, I’m constantly distracted by blinking phone screens. That’s why I’ve come to love the front rows. The trick is to pick auditoriums with recliners or screens where there’s enough distance between the front row and the screen itself. I really think everyone should try it at least once – it’s a surprisingly immersive experience.”
How to pick the best seat in the cinema
- Avoid corner seats for imbalanced audio experience
- The farthest seat from the screen ensures comfort for the posture, the eyes, and the neck
- Experts recommend farthest seats from the screen – maybe second or third row from the back and in middle for best experience
Middle of theatre is Nolan’s favourite
Middle of theatre is Nolan’s favourite
Christopher Nolan once revealed his secret for picking the best seat in a cinema hall during the release of Oppenheimer. “When I’m in a theatre that’s Cinemascope ratio, I like to be right near the front, middle of the third row. When I’m in a stadium, IMAX 1.43:1, then I actually like to be a little behind the centerline, right in the middle. So, a little further back.”
While Nolan said that seat choice is personal, experts tend to agree.
