Erik Barnes

While streaming services are convenient, there is nothing like the experience of a good movie in a fully packed theater. Unfortunately, due to a combination of factors, including the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and affordability issues, attendance at movie theaters has tanked significantly. The experience of going to theaters to enjoy a movie or movies in general is endangered to the point that the Pope weighed in to endorse going out to see films at the local cinema.

It’s difficult to compete against the convenience of streaming movies at home, but streaming cannot compare to the communal experience of the movie theater. The shock of the big reveal, a giant out-of-nowhere scare, or a gut-busting joke just lands harder and makes more impact when you are around friends and even strangers sharing the experience. A room full of people who could be totally different from you in every way just had the same reaction that you did, whether it’s multiple yelps of fear, a giant wave of laughter, or a collective gasp.

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That last one, the collective gasp, is the kicker. Filmgoers on Reddit shared the movie moments that made them and their fellow audience members gasp in the dark. Here are some of the best ones that remind us why it’s worth going to the movies (Spoilers ahead, be forewarned):

“Thanos actually snapping, followed by a deafening silence while everyone got dusted [from Avengers: Infinity War].”

“The chest-bursting scene in Alien.”

“The magic trick in The Dark Knight. It took a beat for most of the audience to realize what had happened, and then they all seemed to figure it out at the same time.”

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“Signs. That scene from the kids' birthday party in Brazil. You know the one.”

“The end of the first Saw movie.”

“The end of The Mist. I was working at the theater, so saw it three times and every time, you could feel the air get sucked out of the room at THAT part.”

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“‘The call is coming from inside the house.’ When A Stranger Calls. This one ages me. I remember hearing the entire audience gasp.”

“In JoJo Rabbit. When he sees the shoes.”

“In Interstellar, when those mountains turn out not to be mountains.”

“The Keyser Soze reveal in The Usual Suspects.”

“Jurassic Park when the dinosaurs first came on the screen. Even so much time later, it’s really an impressive scene. The music they were playing still lives in my mind.”

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"’What's in the box?’ [from Se7en] Women behind me were sobbing hysterically. Much of the theater was shaken up.”

“When Rue is killed in The Hunger Games. A bunch of people obviously didn’t read the book first.”

“Opening weekend of Get Out, when Chris is strangling Rose and the police car shows up. We've all watched him fight his way through the worst racists, barely managing to escape, and then for a moment we're reminded ‘Oh yeah, the world exists’... and THEN when Rod steps out and it's a TSA car the audience lost their minds with relief.”

“I would say the reveal at the end of the Sixth Sense. Was a pretty cool experience to see in the theater.”

“Gandalf falling [in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]. There were quite a few younger kids watching, silence, then tears. I remember afterwards one 8-year-old couldn’t stop crying so 18-year-old me bent down and I told him it was okay, that he comes back. The kid looks up and says, ‘Promise?’ And gave me a hug. His mom was like ‘If you’re lying so help me God…’”

"’No, I am your father.’ [from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back] Really. Saw this in the theater, along with the rest of the world, in 1980.”

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Those are just some “gasp” memories that people had at the movie theater. There are hundreds to thousands more to talk about over a moviegoer’s lifetime, which is exciting. Maybe you shared some of those gasps, too, when you first saw those films. If you look back on those memories fondly, it might be worth checking out a show at your local theater this weekend to make new movie memories.

See you at the cinema!