Let’s go to the movies: A guide to film-watching in Durham City

Movies are one of life’s great comforts. For those looking to chill out and see some films in Durham, we’ve compiled a list of all the ways you can explore movies here, alongside their many pros and cons.

Everyman Cinema Durham

Despite promising a luxury cinema experience, this new Durham movie venue, one of the key highlights of the upcoming Milburngate development, has already been delayed for over two years! Unfortunately, despite the promise of a great Brewdog-Everyman night out, this tardiness places them at the bottom of these recommendations.

Odeon Luxe Durham

The clue is in the name – this venue promises the best ‘luxe’ cinemagoing experience Durham has to offer. The seating, food, and drink on offer fulfil these lofty ambitions. The seats are extremely comfy and reclinable, placed close to the generously large screens. Usual cinema snack fare – popcorn, slushies, nachos – is supplemented by fancier food and drink at Oscar’s Bar, such as cocktails, Prosecco, and churros – which personal experience confirms as delectable. The films showings are frequent and up to date, extending over a helpfully long time and helped by the six screening rooms available.

Such luxury, however, comes at a hefty price. At almost £10 for a regular ticket, it is nearly double the price of a standard Gala Ticket. Oscar’s Bar will also set you back a fair bit. The Odeon, therefore, comes recommended for those willing to pay a bit extra for an especially nice evening.

Via Google Maps

Gala Durham

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As the classic cinemagoing spot of Durham, the Gala earns its high place in this list. Its two rooms offer daily screenings of the biggest new movies, although this smaller number of rooms does limit their frequency relative to the Odeon. Whilst its seating and snacks are all more standard, they are still no slouch. Seats are comfortable and tasty classic snacks of nachos, popcorn, and fizzy drinks are all available, alongside a decent range of chocolate and sweets.

All of these are very good value too, with a standard ticket setting you back only £5. Its proximity to Spoons and the Bailey is another perk, offering great places for a debrief on any movie you see. The Gala is deservedly the classic Durham spot for a no-frills cinema trip.

Via Google Maps 

Watching at home

Always a classic, this film viewing experience allows you to set your own rules. Whilst you may not have access to the latest trending movies, the world is your oyster for anything you can find on your streaming services. Entrance prices are as little as £0.

The quality of seating, however, varies. Sometimes floor seating is all that’s available, but, equally often, you can get the luxury seating of your own sofa. Similarly, while they require more effort to get, the snacks available are endless and offer great value. Anything from a home-cooked, gourmet dinner to cold beans, to homemade cocktails can serve as a great movie delicacy.

The freedom offered by this location is yet another perk – the ability to pause for discussion or for a toilet trip will be greatly appealing to many. The social opportunities of a group watch here is also a selling point, and can range from drunken hysterics to a costumed reenactment to a musical singalong, if you are particularly cringe. Whilst you do lose the “cinema experience” of leaving the house, such crucial innovations nevertheless make this greatly recommended for any social movie-watching occasion.

Durham Film Societies

Durham University itself offers a wide range of film-related societies. Some of these, such as the Classic and International film societies, as well as the new Film and Pints society, are based entirely around cinema-like screenings of movies. These films are not up to date, but are well-chosen as classics for those interested in film.

However, their university-based nature means that they are frequently held in lecture halls with not particularly comfortable seats. Often, if they are held in science lecture halls, snacks are not allowed, which is another shame. However, the social opportunities they offer, being often followed by pub trips, do compensate for this.

Other societies, such as French society, which will occasionally do screenings of French language films, and Star Wars society, which does the same for its franchise, also occasionally offer similar film experiences for more niche interests. A range of societies – from national societies, as well as the Disney and Harry Potter societies, for instance, do the same. Film-making society also serves as a great way to meet people actively into film and allows you to channel your interest in film into creative projects.

Generally, these societies are free. Even when membership fees apply, they are usually good value, being roughly £3.50 for non-member – and even lower for those who pay for yearly memberships. However, their dependence on organisation by students means that there’s the risk they are poorly managed, with some of these societies lacking communication or effectively ceasing operations due to mismanagement.

Overall, if you have a niche interest in a certain type of cinema, or are just generally keen to meet people into the same type of movies as you, these are worth going to.

Via Google Maps

As you can see, there are many ways you can watch movies here. While, clearly, they all have their own pros and cons, they are all – with a few notable exceptions – worth trying. That’s all, folks!