Couple Speechless As They Sit Down at the Movies—Then a Stranger Appears

Newsweek

7 hours ago

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A post online has ignited discussions about movie theater etiquette.
The Reddit post has led to a conversation about the unspoken rules of public spaces after a couple's quiet movie date was interrupted by an unexpected and confusing visitor. The post's author shared the story, saying they were on a movie date and had booked tickets for a film in a "completely empty theater." But, just as the movie was about to begin, a stranger appeared and sat in the seat right next to them.
Since the post was published, it has received 96,000 upvotes.
Stock image: A young loving couple go on a date to the movies.
Stock image: A young loving couple go on a date to the movies.
demaerre/Getty Images
"Right before the movie starts, this total stranger comes in and sits in the seat RIGHT next to me (not even one seat over!), gets out her snacks and starts munching. Why?" the poster, u/dustykashmir, wrote.
The couple was left speechless by the violation of personal space. The poster explained the stranger's behavior only grew more distracting as the film went on.
"And the whole...movie, I'm constantly distracted by this random person trying to crack jokes and talk to me when I'm just trying to, y'know, be on a date," the post read. They added noted that the jokes were far from charming, which only added to the irritation of the moment.
Hilarious Theories Go Viral
The bewildering encounter quickly went viral, prompting fellow Redditors to offer their own humorous theories for the stranger's behavior.
One user suggested the couple might have found themselves in a horror film scenario. "Maybe it was a horror movie and later you find out ONLY TWO TICKETS WERE SOLD," they wrote.
Another user offered a different genre explanation. "Maybe it was a sci-fi movie and the OP's future child went back in time to meet the parents they never got to know because of a terrible accident that left them orphaned as a child," they wrote.
One of the most relatable theories came from a user who imagined the stranger's inner monologue, writing, "'Today's the day, guys. I'm finally going to stop being awkward and try to make some friends [in real life]! Wish me luck!'"
The post struck a nerve for many who have experienced similar awkward moments in other public settings.
"I feel this same way when people do this in parking lots for some reason," one commenter noted.
While the author admitted the experience was "more funny than anything else in retrospect," the irritation felt during the movie was very real, acting as a strange but clear example of a breach of social etiquette.
Ultimately, the author's final message was a plea to others: "Man, we were both irritated during the movie," they wrote. "Why did she do this? Don't do this."
Newsweek reached out to u/dustykashmir for comment via Reddit.