Why I Watch Movies Alone
I like to watch movies with friends or with my boyfriend. It is a type of bonding activity for us. We take some time choosing a movie by checking our reviews and recommendations, what is being offered on the platform of our choice and most importantly agreeing on which type of genre we want. While this process is sometimes fun, much like anticipation of a reward can sometimes be even more satisfying than an actual reward itself. Yet sometimes it can turn into annoying, dull and frustrating experience.
Recommendation engines do a good job of offering movies based on what I had seen before, but often it doesn’t predict whether I will actually enjoy it. Moreover, our tastes with my partner are not same and we might have different moods. Today, I am in a mood for some dark and twisted documentary like Unbelievable and my partner is tired and just wants to relax by watching a simple, cozy movie like You’ve Got Mail. So there goes anything from 30 minutes to 1 hour of finding a some sort of a middle ground, and we stop on the Marriage Story. Not a bad choice but halfway we start falling asleep or distracted.
Does this sound familiar?
That is why I prefer to watch movies alone. I think it can be a very powerful experience. On rare occasions where I went to theatre alone, I had a very good quality time with myself. It is a form of self-care for me. And this amplifies the movie experience because I am not influenced by my friends or partners opinion and have a full ownership of my own subjective experience and interpretation of the movie. I think that is the beauty of the cinema. We all love stories and when I am alone I can fully submerge into a different life. Seamlessly dissolve into a beautiful picture of Geisha’s Memoirs or The Painted Veil. Without any distractions.
While, I agree that certain pictures are best enjoyed in company and others are best consumed in the cozy walls of your own fortress. I truly find that I had a better memory and taste of a movie when I was watching it alone. I cried. I laughed. That was quite liberating. No social cues for when to laugh or cry. No annoying questions or witty comments. It is just you and your mind. Like reading or listening to music.
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking — Marcus Aurelius
I suggest everyone to try it once in a while. Go to the theatre by yourself. Get your favourite popcorn, grab the best seat [since it is easier to find 1 random seat] and just enjoy. Or hate it. Whatever. But truly own this date with yourself. Of course, we like to share our own impressions from the movie or any kind of experience we’ve had. It is always a unique perception. I discovered that some of those “Revelations” or emotions I have experienced are best kept internally. It is a weird feeling. I can relate to the character so much, almost to the point that I am experiencing same emotions. This is called empathy. But not everyone would have experience it to the same level. I found I best enjoy it, when I am alone, rather than anyone else. It is like I am in a different reality. Movies, eh? They make us feel so special yet they use pretty much same storytelling techniques over and over again. And it works like magic!
I know, I am not inventing the wheel here. I am just sharing my own thoughts and few pieces of my own reflections on simple enjoyments that life can offer. You don’t have to be with someone to enjoy anything. Walking in the park. Hiking. Painting. Writing.
Stay safe.
