Let’s Talk Movie Night At Home Ideas, Because The Theater Is Hella Expensive

Listen, I’m all for going to an actual movie theater to watch movies; it’s one of my favorite night-out experiences. But I also don’t have an unlimited “movie night out” budget, and these days, just one trip to the theaters will cost you. For Valentine’s Day, my husband and I decided to go see Heart Eyes (gallows humor is our love language) with tickets we were gifted. So, great, that’s a super cheap date night, right? Well, we ordered two drinks, a popcorn, and two candies... and it came out to almost $50. The scream I scrumpt internally! And the last time my family of four went to the movies and paid for tickets and snacks, it set us back around $150.

Here’s the thing: I realize in this economy that’s still not terrible for a night out. However, it’s a lot of money to a lot of people, and it really feels like a lot of money for those of us who grew up in the golden era of going to the movies when $20 would get you your ticket, food, and a round of games in the theater’s mini arcade (where did those go?!). So, at the risk of being a millennial who sounds like a Boomer, I’d rather make theater nights a special occasion and put my money towards creating a really great movie night at home setup.

If you’re feeling the same way, here are a few movie night ideas to get you started.

Start with How You’re Going to “Screen” the Movie

Obviously, you can watch movies at home on literally any screening device: your phone, a computer, the TV. But if you really want to emulate movie theater vibes, I personally believe a projector is the way to go.

We started a few years back with a lower-budget projector, this Vankyo model for around $180. It’s fine — we still use it for playing video games. But the sound isn’t great, and it isn’t a smart projector, meaning we have to cast with our phones to use Netflix and other streamers. Plus, it isn’t Bluetooth-enabled. Still, if you’re looking to save money, it’s a decent option.

Our current projector (and also my current obsession) is the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22. Coming in at just shy of $1,000, it’s a splurge but a worthwhile one. It can project a 150” picture, has stunning HD picture quality and HDR color, high-quality Dolby audio, a laser light source so you don’t have to worry about replacing lamps, a 360-degree built-in swivel stand, access to over 10,000 apps thanks to Google TV, and built-in HDMI so you can connect your other consoles and streaming devices. We use it to watch pretty much everything now, as well as for gaming. And even though it’s pricey, I have peace of mind knowing it comes with a great warranty with full-unit replacement.

If you do the math, the price is the equivalent of, like, six or seven trips to the movie theater for a family of four — less than once a month. If you’re a household that likes to have movie nights frequently, it makes sense to invest in a higher-quality projector that will last.

Assemble Your Snacks

One of the best parts of going to the movies is snacking. At least it was until the snacks started costing the same as a sit-down dinner (before sit-down dinners started costing a car payment).

So, begin with *the* movie theater staple: popcorn. According to this Reddit thread, the secret in pulling off knock-off theater popcorn lies in the ratio of oil to seed. The OP also suggests getting an actual popcorn machine, and if you’ve got the space, that’s cool. I like this cute little stovetop Whirley Pop popcorn maker, which has a ton of great reviews on Amazon. In our house, we also believe in mixing things up with a popcorn seasoning. The Kernel Season’s variety pack is great, but my husband and I make sure we’re the ones doling them out (otherwise our son would just pour with reckless abandon). And, finally, having designated popcorn containers just makes it feel all the more fun — not to mention convenient. I just ordered these retro-themed, dishwasher-safe containers that are too cute.

As for candy, you can hit up your local Dollar Tree to stock up on your favorites to get a lot of sugary bang for your buck. For a more unique variety, we like to hit up World Market’s food aisles. If we’re sticking to the classics, though, you can’t go wrong with Twizzlers, Milk Duds (hot tip: eat these in the same bite as your popcorn), Cookie Dough Bites, Peanut M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, or the newest favorite on the block, Nerd Clusters.

If you’re really feeling ambitious, you could always theme your food and drinks around what movie you’re watching, a la TBS’ Dinner and a Movie.

Get Cozy

It helps if you have a roomy sectional sofa that everyone can squeeze onto, but with enough cozy pillows and throws, even the floor works for home movie night viewing. When I was growing up, I loved when our mom made us a pallet on the floor out of blankets so we could watch movies together. I like Bedsure’s oversized fleece blankets for this because they’re affordable enough to buy a few for maximum floor-pallet-comfort.

Set the Scene

Really and truly, you could make do with everything up to this point. Screen? Check. Snacks? Yep. Cozy blankets? Got ‘em. But if you really want to elevate your home movie night experience (or just impress your kids), you could give them the old razzle dazzle with some killer ambiance and tech-y accessories.

For cool lighting effects, you could go as simple and cheap as a strand of LED strip lights with different app settings or spend more for a more sophisticated backlight kit that comes with cameras for more accurate color-matching.

Sound bars and surround sound systems would also make a fun addition to a home theater.

Pick Your Movie

Now all that’s left is to figure out what to watch! Of course, some may argue this is the hardest part of the whole equation.

My kids are very different, and their movie tastes vary a lot. So, we go on a rotation system, where every movie night, a different family member gets to pick the movie. No repeat picks, and no one else can argue about the pick — you have to keep an open mind. But I also read somewhere about a family who would pick a theme each month, with each family member writing their pick within that theme. Then they just do a blind draw to see which one to watch.

If you want to make sure what you’re watching is “safe” for the whole family, Common Sense Media has a great roundup of movie picks by age. I personally tend to default to family movies from the ‘80s and the ‘90s (The Sandlot reigns supreme). Regardless of how you choose, the good news is there are tons of free movies available to stream these days, meaning you can keep that ticket money in your pocket.