Image of a kid wearing a coat full of snacks in a movie theatre

Debate photos courtesy of families; Shutterstock.com (coat, theater, popcorn, candy, gummies); iStockPhoto/Getty Images (all other images)

Is It OK to Sneak Snacks Into the Movies?

April 15, 2024

The lights go down as the movie is about to start. Suddenly, someone in your row pulls a box of chicken nuggets and fries from under his jacket. A video of a man doing just that in a theater last summer has gotten more than 5 million views on TikTok. He’s not the only customer to sneak food into a movie.

The three biggest theater chains in the U.S.—AMC, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark—don’t allow outside food. But that doesn’t stop many people from bringing their own snacks anyway.

A lot of moviegoers who bring outside food into theaters want to avoid paying the high prices at concession stands. At many theaters, a large popcorn and drink costs about as much as a movie ticket. And the portions are so huge that a lot of the snacks wind up in the trash.

But many people think breaking a theater’s rules is wrong, even if you don’t agree with them. Also, they point out, theaters rely on concession stand sales. Some theaters earn about 40 percent of their money from the sale of food and drinks. Sneaking in your own snacks hurts the theater’s business.

Here’s what two of our readers think.

Movie tickets are expensive. When you add the cost of snacks, going to the movies can be unaffordable. When my mom and I watch movies at home, we share a bag of microwave popcorn that costs $1.25. At a theater, popcorn costs $6 or more.

Plus, movie theaters sell mostly unhealthy food and sugary drinks. Many theaters don’t have good snack options for people with food allergies or special diets. They should be allowed to bring their own. It’s hard to sit through a movie without snacks!

It’s best to follow the theater’s rules. If you want to bring your own snacks to the movies, you should check with the staff first to make sure it’s allowed. Theaters make a lot of their money from the food they sell. If fewer people bought snacks, theaters might raise ticket prices.

If you want to have snacks but don’t want to buy them, eat before you go to the movies or when you get home. The point of going to the theater is to enjoy the film, not to worry about snacks!