What's the best theater in Manhattan to see the Barbie movie?

July 22, 2023 3:51 PM

I'll be in New York City, specifically Manhattan, all this coming week for work. I visit New York often and have lots of go-to places to eat and drink and have fun, but I've never actually gone to a mainstream current-run movie there. What's the best theater to see the Barbie movie? "Best" is open & subjective; I generally prioritize comfort & quality over special events & swag, but if there's a really cool event happening around the movie somewhere, I'm open to it.
posted by rhiannonstone to Society & Culture (11 answers total)

Response by poster: Should have added: I'm very familiar with Alamo Drafthouse from my own & other cities so it's not a novelty for me that would lead me to choose it just for the food & theater service, but it's cool if it's still the best option for other reasons.
posted by rhiannonstone at 3:55 PM on July 22, 2023

I don’t know if you are going to get a ticket at any theatre at this point. They are all sold out. If you really want to see it, there may be one somewhere but you might not get to be picky about the theatre but good luck!
posted by greta simone at 3:58 PM on July 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Not to threadsit, but that's fair! Still open to suggestions for specific theaters, as I can be pretty flexible about timing and don't mind showings at weird hours.
posted by rhiannonstone at 4:01 PM on July 22, 2023

Best answer: Actually since yesterday it seems lots of theaters have added new showings, so you may have some luck! Honestly I still like Alamo for comfort and user experience. IPIC in Southstreet Seaport is pretty comfy too, but the ordering situation is mildly confusing. I've read Regal Essex Crossing is comfortable but haven't been.
posted by greta simone at 4:02 PM on July 22, 2023

Best answer: Essex Crossing is all recliners, still relatively new so everything's in pretty good shape and very comfortable. It has a little bar area if you like that. It's running a ton of showings this week, so you can probably get one at a reasonable hour, especially midweek. Its food offerings are standard-modern-theater, not Drafthouse-style, though. Oppenheimer's got the RPX (premium format) slot there. If that matters to you, looks like 42nd St. E-walk has some RPX showings; they're still doing renovations there, though, and the new RPX inexplicably doesn't have recliners.
posted by praemunire at 4:51 PM on July 22, 2023

(P.S. If you go to EC, try to avoid screens 1-2 and 7-8, which are their smallest and which I imagine Barbie is showing on at all only because they've got a babillion showings. Nothing wrong with them, but they are basically half-theaters and while that would be fine for something like Past Lives, I think it'd be a bummer for a spectacle like Barbie.)
posted by praemunire at 4:55 PM on July 22, 2023

Best answer: (Further contemplating, if you want the best sound + picture, probably the Dolby Cinema showings at the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square are your best shot. But then you're in Times Square, so.)
posted by praemunire at 11:08 PM on July 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

Did mods delete the "Only in 70mm IMAX Print" joke answers?
posted by k3ninho at 3:11 PM on July 23, 2023

Best answer: I live in NYC and I prefer Alamo Drafthouse for first run movies; sorry to not have a more interesting answer! There are lots of interesting theaters that show things more specific and unusual, but they are generally much less comfy.
posted by branca at 5:41 AM on July 24, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Might just be me, but I wouldn't be particularly picky about this and just do whatever is closest to where you'll be staying/working? I love our independent theaters, but most of the mainstream cinemas in NYC are pretty good and there isn't anything novel, unique, or special about them. Nor, honestly, should there be.

That said, there do seem to be some tickets for the coming days at the Nighthawk in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. That was the OG book-ahead/dine-in spot before Alamo made its way to New York.
posted by voiceofreason at 11:35 AM on July 24, 2023

Response by poster: Marking most answers as best, they were all helpful!

I ended up just going to the next available showing at the closest theater on my last day there, which turned out to be Regal Essex Crossing, theater 10. No complaints.
posted by rhiannonstone at 5:02 PM on July 29, 2023