The best cinema seat if you might need to step out
If you might need to step out, the best seat in the cinema is an aisle seat at the end of a row, on the side nearest the door you came in by. You give up a little of the view, and in return you can leave and come back without anyone standing up for you.
Aisle seat or the middle of the row?
A seat in the middle of the row gives you the straightest view of the screen. It is also the hardest place to leave. You have to squeeze past half a row of knees and drinks, twice, while the film plays.
An aisle seat costs you a slight angle on the screen. In return you stand up and you are gone. On the way back, you sit straight down and nobody else moves. If there is any chance you will need the loo, take the aisle seat. You will enjoy the film more when you aren’t dreading the climb out.
Which end of the row?
Not every aisle seat is equal. Before the lights go down, look for the door you came in by and pick the end of the row nearest it. That cuts the walk in the dark to a few steps.
When you book, look at the seating map and work out which side the entrance is likely to be. If you can’t tell, choose an aisle seat anyway, and ask staff on the day if you would like to move. If you booked with Picturehouse, its help page says you can swap seats in its app (under Purchases, then Swap Seats) or at the box office.
Front, back or near the exit?
Rows near the entrance put you close to the door, but in some screens that means the front, where you crane your neck at the picture. Rows at the back give you a clear view and nobody behind you to disturb when you stand up. Neither is right for everyone.
A good compromise is an aisle seat in the back half, on the entrance side. You are a short walk from the door, you aren’t looking straight up, and the people you pass on the way out are the fewest possible.
Accessible seating
If you use a wheelchair, Cineworld says you can book a wheelchair space online in advance or in person at the cinema on the day, and the spaces are marked on its seating maps. Other chains differ, so check their accessibility pages or ask at the box office.
Getting back to your seat in the dark
Most of the trouble comes on the way back, not the way out. You walk from a bright corridor into a dark room, and you can’t see the steps. According to an investigator at the US National Eye Institute, writing in Scientific American, the eyes take 20 to 30 minutes to adapt fully to the dark, though the first part happens within a few minutes. You won’t get the full adjustment on a loo break, but a short pause helps.
- Count rows on the way out. As you leave, count the rows between your seat and the door. On the way back you count them off again instead of peering at seat numbers.
- Note a landmark. The end of a handrail, a step light, or a person in a pale jacket all make a good marker.
- Pause inside the door. Stand still for a few seconds once you are through. Let the light from the screen show you the aisle before you start down it.
- Keep your phone dim and face down. If you need a light, point the screen at the floor and keep it low. Our guide to using your phone in the cinema explains why a lit screen bothers the row behind you.
Put your phone away before you reach your row, not after you sit down. Whatever you were reading on the way back, finish it in the corridor.
When you get back to your seat
The seat only solves half the problem. The other half is what happened on screen while you were out. If you want the full picture on stepping out, start with our guide to whether you can leave the cinema and come back in, and our guide to a toilet break during a film.
For the catching up, The Bit You Missed works in the corridor, before you go back through the door. You pick your film, drag a dial to roughly how far in you are, and read short lines, one per scene, such as “Nedry shuts the fences down and drives for the east dock.” The screen is dark with dim amber text, so it stays easy on eyes that have just adjusted to the dark. See how it works, or read more about catching up on a film you missed part of.
Stepped out mid-film?
Pick your film, drag the dial to roughly how far in you are, and read what you missed. Open the web app
Sources
- Cineworld Help: How do I book a wheelchair user ticket?
- Picturehouse Help: How do I move my seats?
- Scientific American: Why does it take so long for our vision to adjust to a darkened theater?