Watching Movies at Home or The Cinemas?

Watching movies is an amazing activity to relax for many people nowadays. After a day of hard work, what can be more satisfying than watching films and concentrating with amusement on the plots? With the theater culture in Nigeria seemingly non-existent again having faded out with time and the new cinema culture gradually being embraced by the youths, I always thought that most people would appreciate what the cinemas have to offer but boy was I wrong when I came under verbal attack by a couple of my friends recently for having ‘squandered’ money to be one of the first people to watch Thor: The Dark World at the cinema.


They were horrified that I had been in such haste that I had parted with some thousands of naira just to watch the movie although for me the three thousand naira that had been charged at Silverbird Galleria had been worth every penny. For them the whole paparazzi of getting to have a red carpet, the free drinks by Guiness not to talk of the small chops that were available not to forget the popcorn and soft drinks.
Also got the chance to see the current Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Anna Ebiere, and a peek at pregnant celebrity dancer Kaffy and her husband didn’t quite justify the ‘waste’. I heard funny opinions like “Why watch a movie at the cinema once when Alaba boys have empowered you to watch more at a even cheaper rate?. Another was “I can substitute for cinema popcorn with locally made ‘guguru’ and buy groundnut.’  This got me thinking about what most people’s view will be on whether they will rather watch a movie at the cinema or in the comfort of their home. Here are some of the things other movie lovers had to say:

Oluwadamilola Eniola: According to him, he would rather go to the cinema with his girlfriend because it provides him an excuse to cuddle up and get cozy in what he considers a bit of a romantic environment rather than just sit down together in his house to watch the movie.

Susan Nnkanka says that being someone who likes to take time to savor her movies, she can take days to watch a movie and would therefore prefer to watch at home. That way she can watch at her own convenience and not have to worry about sleeping off.  

 Lawrence Macaulay: For this young man anything goes for him because the cost of watching a movie at the cinema with a student ID card is not expensive therefore  it depends on if the movie is going to be cool. He says for romantic themed movies he tends to fall asleep and hates remarks that keeps going round when he is watching an action movie, so romantic movie would be at home while action will be at the cinema.

Tobi Afolabi: This undergraduate student of Unilag believes that people especially youths need to embrace the cinema culture more. For her the cinema brings the real effect of watching a movie and she feels closer to the action on the screen than what she can ever hope to attain at home.

Chinedu Udensi considers himself a bit of a recluse and therefore doesn’t like going out much. He says he prefers watching his movies at home away from the presence of strangers which according to him is what the cinema has to offer. The solitude of his home is all he needs to enjoy a good movie.       

Unlike Chinedu who is shying away from people Anuoluwapo he would rather be in the company of a lot of people to watch a movie. He says for him it is the same kind of feeling he gets when he watches a football match in a crowded place rather than just sitting home alone in front of your TV screen.

Aisha Teniola the house holds more appeal because she gets the luxury of watching the movie at her own pace, fast forward and also rewind at her convenience which is something that she can’t get to do if she were to be in a cinema.

Seun Odufuwa believes that the kind of movie is what will determine whether she goes to the cinema or stay home to watch, and with a mischievous smile she added that if someone else was handling the bills then she had no problem opting for the cinema.

So do let us know, which tickles your fancy more, the cinemas or a movie at home?

For a reading on something a bit similar you might like to read Nigerians and the Cinema: A New Love Story





Akinwale Akinyoade is National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Yaba College of Technology and currently majors in English at the University of Lagos. He loves reading, writing and networking. Follow @gidigenius