How to Get the Best Seat in a Movie Theater

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References

Not all seats in a movie theater were created equal. It's true! Some movie theater seats are better than others. It should be easy to get the best movie theater seat if you put some forethought into how you buy your tickets and choose a seat.

Things You Should Know

For the best seat in a movie theater, sit in the center roughly two-thirds back from the front so that you view the screen at a roughly 38-degree angle.
Buy your tickets ahead of time and go to a theatre where you can choose your seats to get the optimal viewing experience.
If you can’t buy tickets online, show up at least 15-20 minutes early so that you can beat the crowds.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Getting the Best Sound and Visuals

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Sit in the center two-thirds back. In order to get the best sound quality, you should sit where the sound technician sits to calibrate the experience. This is the most common way to get a good seat.
- That means you should plant yourself two-thirds of the way toward the back of the theater, right in the middle. In terms of viewing, most seats in modern stadium theaters are 12-to-15 inches higher than the seats in front of them, allowing for unobstructed viewing. That’s why choosing where you sit based on sound is a good idea.^{[1]
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- Experts recommend that you sit slightly off center to amplify the effect of the sound. Try sitting one or two seats from the dead center of the theater, two-thirds back. You will have a “dynamic, stereo sound” from this position.
- This phenomenon is widely known. The sound is going to be sharper – and you will get the full effect of it - in this spot.^{[2]
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Sit at the best viewing angle. Almost all movie theaters have a spot where the visuals and audio will be best. You want to find that “sweet spot.”^{[3]
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- By some standards, a 36-degree viewing angle from the farthest seat in the theater is the best place to sit. You want the viewing angle to be maximum. People have even applied complex mathematical equations to this question!
- The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has a visual guideline that advises that the vertical line of sight of the viewer should not be more than 35 degrees from the horizontal to the top of the projected images.
- The ideal sight line should be 15 degrees beneath the horizontal center line of the projected image on the screen. To feel more immersed in the action, sit in the row where the screen’s edges are just inside your peripheral vision's edges.^{[4]
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3
Get a good seat in a home theater. Home theaters are no different than other movie theaters: There are ways to maximize the viewing experience.
- The optimal viewing distance is the size of your screen’s diagonal measurement divided by .84. That means that a 44-inch set should be viewed at 5.4 feet. This is the THX home theater standard.
- THX recommended viewing distances for a 60-inch TV are 6 to 9 feet.
- The style of cinematography can also affect how far away you should sit from the screen because some movies were designed to be shown on very large screens.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Increasing Your Chances of Getting the Best Seat

1
Buy tickets online. Many movie theaters have it set up now so that you can easily buy your tickets online with a credit card. Check on the theater's website.
- This will allow you to evade long lines for popular movies, thus getting into the theater ahead of other people to choose the best seats.
- Some dinner theaters allow you to actually select your seats. Some regular theater seat selections are first-come first-serve, though, but buying them online means you can skip the lines and get into the theater sooner before the choice seats are snapped up.
- Buying tickets online also eliminates the chances you will arrive to a sold-out show.
2
Reserve your seat. You could purchase reserved seats online, depending on the theater. They usually cost a little bit more (a few dollars), but they guarantee you a good seat.
- You could also buy a reserved seat at the theater. Reserved seats are often more comfortable and are larger recliners too. Most larger theaters sell reserved seats, although some small ones may not.
- The reserved seats are usually positioned toward the back of the theater where sound is best, and you don’t have to crane your neck to see the film. They sometimes have bigger tables to hold your concessions.
- You are often allowed to select your own reserved seat or the computer will select the best seat available for you. This way if you arrive late or last minute, you won’t have to worry about ending up in the first row in a crowded theater.
3
Get there early. This sounds pretty obvious, but if you want to get the best seat, don’t show up right as the movie is about to start unless you have a reserved seat.
- Get there at least 15 to 20 minutes early, and maybe more if it’s a super popular showing.
- The other thing you could do it go on off-times. Some movie theaters have weekday deals.
- Friday and Saturday night showings of popular new movies are going to be the most crowded.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Picking the Right Days and Times

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Go on Mondays and Wednesdays. These weekdays are considered the lowest traffic movie days, so if you want to avoid the crowds, go then. Avoiding crowds means you will have your choice of seats.
- Holidays can see spikes in traffic. If you don’t want to fight the crowds for the best movie theater seats, avoid showings around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- The last evening showing on Monday or Wednesday will be the emptiest theater yet in most cases.^{[5]
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- You could also wait until a popular new movie has been out for a while. That way you can avoid the crush, and settle into the best seat in the house instead of battling someone else for it. You could also check out smaller chains or budget theaters.
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Consider your personal needs. The best seat might not be the seat that allows you to hear or see best if it means you will be uncomfortable.
- An aisle seat will be better if you are going to have to take several restroom breaks during the showing (or if you are with a child who might).
- Similarly, if you plan to run back and forth for concessions, you’re going to annoy a lot of people by constantly tripping over them on your way out of the middle.
- If you end up with a middle back seat, plan to feel pretty crammed if the movie is popular, with people on either side of you. If you are very tall with long legs, you might prefer sitting in the middle seats that open onto the aisle so your legs aren’t as cramped.^{[6]
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Go early or late. The time you go to the theater is going to make a big difference when it comes to theater audience size.
- The last showing of the evening is less likely to be full, unless it’s a blockbuster on opening night, of course.
- Matinee showings have the added benefit of being cheaper. Not only will you save a few dollars, but you will also not have to face crowds and will have a better chance of getting the optimal seats.
- Be aware that theaters can fill up on off times when there are special promotions, such as senior citizen days or discount days for teachers or students.

Community Q&A

Question

Do all theaters have reserved seating?

Community Answer

No, but the larger ones probably do. Check with the theater or on its website.
Question

Can I sit dead center?

Hannah Stevens

Community Answer

Two-thirds back is better. Dead center two-thirds back is good, but will have a flatter sound than a seat or two past two-thirds back.
Question

Is it wrong that I like the front row?

Ruby

Top Answerer

Everyone has different preferences. Most people find it hard to see in the front row, but if you like the front row, good for you! That means you are more likely to get a seat that you like, as most people tend not to sit there.