Theater Employees Share Unhinged Moviegoer Stories

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4 days ago

Nicole Kidman once said, "We come to theaters to laugh, to cry, to care..." Well, it seems some people go to movie theaters to act COMPLETELY unhinged. While some might think that a bad shift at a movie theater would consist of a few popcorn spills, that couldn't be further from the truth...
That's why when TikTok user @sophiecc04 said, "I'm bored, calling all movie theatre workers, give me the tea. I'm not talking 'a guest threw popcorn at me,' I'm talking TEA," both current and former movie theater employees shared their worst interactions with downright unhinged moviegoers. So, without further ado, grab your popcorn and read these 21 WILD theater encounters:
"We once showed an ultra-religious movie, where at the end of, the film's creator came on screen and told the audience that there are people all around them who are possessed by the devil and that it's their responsibility to save them."
"This led to around 20 people gathering in a circle by the screen and our lobby to start performing exorcisms. We had to kick them out."—esmerld.chvez
"I worked the 50 Shades Darker premiere weekend. We found HUNDREDS of dollars worth of sex toys in the theater. Some people even came back to request them!"
"My boyfriend was tipped $100 to let a man inside to see if his wife was cheating (she was)."
"I worked at a theater when Sausage Party came out, and our managers would stand at the door telling people, specifically parents with young children, that the movie was rated R and they would NOT be refunding tickets for this movie after people entered the theater."
"The number of angry parents who left within the first ten minutes after insisting it was just a cartoon was hilarious."—archeuswinterston
"When Twilight: Eclipse was released, we had a girl buy her ticket, walk to the emergency exit at the end of the hall, and prop it open with a broom."
"We saw a kid take a popcorn bucket out of the trash and try to use it to get a refill. About a week later, he won prom king, and his picture was in the paper, so we printed it out, put it on a 'wanted' poster, hung it up, and told everyone to never let him get refills."
"One of my old coworkers became a manager, and she was dating the dishwasher guy. One day, she was closing, and she sneaked him in through one of the theater exits. They climbed into the vents and tried to get into the main office to the vault to steal all the credit cards and cash."
"They fell through the ceiling in one of the theaters that had a movie playing. Cops got called, and they were both arrested. Turns out they only worked there to try and rob it. They ended up with restraining orders on all theaters."—t.bull.31
"A lady went into the theater, totally normal. A few minutes later, she came out, walked all the way from the end of the building, and out the front doors, trailing DIARRHEA on the floor behind her."
"The theater I used to work at always had this one moviegoer who would bring in multiple cans of sardines and leave the bones behind. 'Someone' (definitely not me) found her car and threw all the collected bones in the gas tank."
"I worked at a movie theater when The Force Awakens was released. A GROWN man asked us for a refund because Han Solo died."
"He said that he 'saw his ticket as an investment in Disney's new films and he was not interested in them without Han.' I had to explain that we're not responsible for the plot of the films."—devinkberry
"A problematic regular of ours once had a popcorn kernel stuck in his teeth and asked for a toothpick. We told him we didn't carry any, so he proceeded to use a rewards card at guest services and a mini poster to pick his teeth directly in front of us. He then put those items back where he found them. We, of course, had to throw them away. I've never been so appalled."
"We had a pregnant woman discover her boyfriend was cheating on her during Minecraft. She came bursting out of the theater and asked, 'Where did the guy in the white shirt go?' We all pointed to the family bathroom."
"It was the opening night of Sonic the Hedgehog in 2020. As you can imagine, we had several parties of kids coming in. After one of the first showings, I went in to do my job and clean up. I was about four rows in when I collected some mac and cheese bowls (it was a dine-in theater)."
"A few minutes later, I notice a horrendous smell coming from one of the bowls in the bus cart. I take a look and lo and behold…It's sh*t. Literal human sh*t that I picked up off the floor. I clocked out and went home."—angelina____
"Two ladies began arguing over seats in a fully open theater — they could've sat anywhere. Yet, they ended up getting into a fist fight. While the manager dealt with that, I had to watch their children and make sure they behaved. That's how I watched the Minecraft movie."
"We accidentally let a random man dressed like Michael Myers come in through the exit because we thought he was one of our boss's friends, who was supposed to scare the audience after a screening of Halloween."
"There are many stories I can tell, but nothing beats the Coco era, when an entitled mom stood in the theater that we were in the middle of cleaning, post-show, and watched us with arms crossed, complaining to my manager because I told her to please wait outside with everyone else in the designated line. She was yelling so loudly that all eyes were on her. Needless to say, she got herself and her family escorted out of seeing the next showing."
—sylentnights
"A new hire made two teen boys clean the entire theater with brooms and dustpans because she saw them throwing popcorn."
"When we got the cardboard standee for Detective Pikachu, someone stole it, so we posted about it on our Facebook page."
"I saw a woman sitting out in the hallway with bags next to her. She was obviously sad, so I sat down next to her and asked her what had happened. She told me that she had come to see a movie with her boyfriend (they had been arguing). During the movie, he gave her the rest of her things from his place as a way of telling her that their relationship was officially over."
"She told me that he was still in the theater watching the movie and that she was debating whether or not to go back in there and be with him.I said he sounded like he was the WORST and told her that she didn't have to go back in to watch the movie with him. Well, she went back, and two hours later, they walked out together, laughing and kissing."—thechillisgone
"This was when Hustlers hit theaters: The last lady I sold a ticket to for a showing was wearing a romper. Once the credits were rolling and people were starting to leave, I decided I would go ahead and start cleaning the theater before the next showing."
And finally, a wholesome, yet still slightly unhinged moment: "A guy ordered Papa John's and had it brought to the theater. When he went outside to collect it, I had to stop him and say, 'Hey, we really don't allow outside food.'"
"He responded with, 'Yeah, I know, that's why I got two extra pizzas for you all.' He proceeded to hand me two pizzas for the employees to share.He then asked if he was good to return to his movie with the food, and I asked if he needed any free cups for drinks. One of my greatest customer interactions."—yaboycampbellg
Did any of these stories surprise you? Current and former movie theater employees, what was your most unhinged moviegoer encounter? Tell us about it in the comments or using the anonymous form below!