How loud eaters and phones nearly spoiled my cinema trip

The cinema lights are low and you're cocooned in your seat, ready for the film to transport you to another world. But just as you settle in, you're jolted back to reality. Audience members around you are scrolling on their phones, talking and munching loudly. Cinemas do clearly ask everyone not to disturb those around them - through the use of adverts, announcements and signs - but is behaviour getting worse? I experienced disruption a few weeks ago while watching Ryan Gosling's sci-fi movie, Project Hail Mary, at a cinema in London. Behind me, someone was translating the film's dialogue in real-time to the person next to them. Elsewhere, a couple of people scrolled on their mobiles, seemingly incapable of focusing on the big screen. Meanwhile, a family were unwrapping an entire picnic at their seats. And at a Valentine's Day viewing of Wuthering Heights earlier this year, a woman nearby in the auditorium was eating a huge chocolate heart, unwrapping a crinkly wrapper in the process. The offenders were stopped in their tracks by audience members shushing - some even hissing - or having a quiet word, but in each case it still momentarily broke the spell of the film. Film TikToker Ce

Apr 25, 2026 → Apr 25, 2026