The Best $20 You Can Spend at the Movie Theater
Written by
John Csiszar
Edited by
Angela Corry
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As great as the moviegoing experience is in a theater, box office revenue has been declining for years. According to BoxOfficeMojo, sales in 2024 were still about 25% below pre-pandemic figures. While a number of factors contribute to this decline, including strikes and competition from streaming services, the cost of going to a movie is also becoming problematic for some.
According to Cinemark, the average nationwide price for a movie ticket is $16.08. If you live in Los Angeles or New York City, or if you prefer specialty formats like IMAX, 3D or Dolby Cinema, you could be looking at $25 or more for a seat. Add on concessions and you could be looking at spending $100 or more just to go out on a date. That’s why it’s essential to get smart with your money at the cinemas.
While you can’t do much to change what your local theater charges for a ticket, there are ways that you can reduce the overall cost of the experience. Here are some of the best options.
Movie Theater Clubs
Most of the major theater chains, including AMC, Regal and Cinemark, offer clubs that offer numerous perks in exchange for a monthly subscription.
For avid moviegoers, the AMC Stubs A-List Program offers immense value.
For between $20 and $28 per month, depending on where you live, you’re entitled to see four movies per week. The biggest value comes from those who prefer premium formats, like IMAX or 3D, as those tickets are included with no upcharge over the monthly fee. With a single ticket for one of these showings often going for $20 or more, you could recoup your entire monthly fee just by watching a single movie. A-List members also get free upgrades on their concession purchases, free refills of large popcorn buckets, priority concession lane access, and a free large popcorn and drink as a birthday gift.
The Regal Unlimited program offers unlimited viewings at all of its theaters for $26.49 per month. It offers lower-priced tiers, for $24.49 and $21.49 per month, that allow access to 363 and 148 theaters, respectively. As with the AMC Stubs A-List, members receive a free large popcorn and soda for their birthdays, but the Regal program requires an upcharge to view movies in premium formats.
The Cinemark Movie Club is the most affordable option, starting at just $10.99 per month. However, it also offers the fewest perks, allowing just one free movie ticket per month and requiring an upcharge for premium formats.
Depending on which chain you visit the most, movie clubs can be one of the very best ways to stretch the $20 you spend at the theater.
Concession Package Discounts
In an effort to boost sales, most movie theaters offer discounts on package purchases of concessions. Sometimes, they also run special promotions. AMC recently rolled out a “50% off movie tickets and small combos” deal for all AMC Stubs members on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This applies even to basic AMC Stubs members, who don’t have to pay anything to sign up. For all of 2025, Regal Cinemas is offering its Crown Club and Unlimited members 50% off all large popcorn and soft drinks. Members of Cinemark’s Movie Club enjoy a 20% discount on all concessions at all times.
Regional theaters will often give you the best bang for your buck if you’re looking to spend $20 or less. The Stanford Theater in California’s Bay Area, for example, offers a $10 deal that includes a double feature, small popcorn and a soda, all in a classic 1925 theater. In Richmond, Virginia, the newly remodeled Movieland theater offers $10 movie tickets and $5 popcorn on Tuesdays, according to Axios.
Matinees
Going to a matinee doesn’t involve spending $20, but it may very well save it for you. Most movie theaters nationwide offer discounted pricing on morning or afternoon screenings, often pricing tickets 50% or less than prime-time showings. AMC typically cuts off matinee pricing at 4 p.m., but according to users on Reddit, some Cinemark outlets offer discounted screenings until as late as 6p.m. during the week.
The Bottom Line
There’s no denying that movie and concession prices have risen in recent years. But if you’re a cinephile that prefers sitting in a darkened theater to watching movies at home, there are strategies, like the ones above, that you can implement to still get a lot of value out of the $20 you’re spending at a theater.
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