For almost 150 years cinemas have entertained people around the world. Whether you go with friends, family or even alone you can rely on the smell of popcorn, the booming of the speakers, and the dark and cozy atmosphere to entertain. However, for many neurodivergent people, particularly those on the autistic spectrum, the cinema can be overwhelming and stressful. In recent years this has been recognised and there has been an attempt by cinemas to address this by the introduction of relaxed screenings.

Why is it only now that relaxed screenings are being introduced?

During and following covid there was a significant rise in the provision and use of online streaming services and home entertainment became normalised. When cinemas started to reopen it took time for audiences to return. For some neurodivergent people who had been able to watch films from the comfort of their own home, there was little incentive to return to the cinema. The provision of relaxed screenings has sought to address this by providing an environment more suited to their needs. Relaxed screenings are an important step in making cinema inclusive and create a new audience leading to a rise in attendees. When researching relaxed screenings, it became apparent however that this concept, which was used at film festivals Oska Bright and FilmBath, is still being trialled in places and its universal implementation is slow.

Which cinemas offer relaxed screenings?

Independent cinemas –

The Lexi Cinema

The Phoenix

The Barbican

Act One Cinema

(All London based- usually take place once a month or more)

When I tried to find a relaxed screening event at the Odeon near to me, I found that it was hard to locate a relaxed screening event on the website and that not every cinema in the Odeon chain offered them. If I wanted to go to a relaxed event at the Odeon I would first have to search the entire Odeon site for a location that did relaxed screenings, then see when and what film they were doing that month.

Other chain cinemas-

Vue

Cineworld

Picturehouse

(Usually taking place once a month depending on location)

What are the features of a relaxed screening?

There are lots of different elements which all serve a unique but important purpose to ensure a calm and enjoyable event.

Lights on but dimmed

This allows people who have sensory issues to still be able to see their surroundings.

Lowered volume

Enables attendees to watch the film without feeling overwhelmed by the noise.

Being able to move around

Some people may want to leave the cinema or move around to regulate themselves.

No trailers

This eliminates the uncertainty about the exact start time of the film.

A quiet space

A separate room near the screen gives people the option to remove themselves from the cinema and have time to relax in a safe comfortable space.

Additional features which are not used in every relaxed screening but can be useful are-

Stimming toys

These can be useful to have during a film, in particular if there are any moments in the narrative which are emotional or cause a sensory problem.

Spaced out seating

This allows everyone to have their personal space.

Headphones or earbuds

Useful for those moments where, despite the lowered volume, there is an uncomfortable noise in the film.

My experience of a relaxed screening.

As part of this article I wanted to experience a relaxed screening having never attended one previously. The first relaxed screening I attended was with a friend and we went to a relaxed screening of the film Babes at the Barbican cinema, which I found easily on the website by typing relaxed screenings in the search bar. The whole experience was very calm and comfortable. We arrived a little late but having the ability to enter and leave the cinema with no judgement made it feel less awkward to sidle in and find our seats. The lights were at a comfortable level sufficient enough to see the surroundings. The sound level felt very natural and it was not obvious that it had been reduced. There were subtitles which would be helpful in understanding the narrative of the film for those with a hearing problem or who find it hard to pay attention. The final element of the event was the quiet area directly outside the cinema with ushers on hand to assist. I found the relaxed screening to be a pleasurable experience and whilst adjustments were made they did not detract from the overall cinema experience I am used to.