Family flees cinema after children made to watch horror film trailers
Family flees cinema after children made to watch horror film trailers
The four and five year old had gone to watch Lilo & Stitch
Robert Ellice and Jenny Ellicee with her boys Max and Robert
A mum says her two young children were left "traumatised" after a cinema showed two horror film trailers before a screening of Lilo & Stitch. Jenny Ellice, 43, and husband Robert took their boys Max, four, and Bertie, five, to watch the remake of the classic kids' film at Cineworld in Enfield, London, last Saturday.
She paid £85 for the 4DX viewing which, according to Cineworld, provides "an extreme sensory experience" with a moving seat. Cinemas typically put on age-appropriate film trailers before the film itself.
But instead of showing other PG-rated films, films like Jurassic World Rebirth (PG-13), horror film Megan (PG-13) and a second horror film were shown. Whilst her boys were okay with the former, Jenny says the two horror trailers combined with the moving seats left Max and Robert "rigid with fear" and "terrified".
They left minutes later because her children were too scared to stay and watch Lilo & Stitch. Staff apologised for the mistake and offered free tickets, but Jenny says it doesn't go far enough. The TV journalist from Epping, Essex, said: "Max has been waking up screaming and Rob said to his teacher yesterday that he was scared from the cinema.
"But you just don't know with kids, they're like sponges, you think they're not listening, but they are. They were pretty graphic trailers. There was swearing and screaming in them - my eldest was rigid with fear. I had my hands over their eyes.
"I had no idea why they were showing these trailers for a U movie - these are four-year-olds exposed to graphic swearing and violence. They were terrified."
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Jenny says it's "lucky" that they were the only ones in the 10:10 screening of the film. She added: "We were the only ones who went into the 4DX showing. We got popcorn and drinks, and they were so excited. They were all happy with their 3D glasses.
"The ads were on and then it goes into age-appropriate trailers for the film. The first one was Jurassic World, and I thought that seems a bit off, but I thought it could be a PG film like Lilo & Stitch. The seats move really violently and my boys like dinosaurs so it's fine.
"The next one was Megan, and I was sure that wasn't a PG - it got really graphic really quickly. It's like those Chuckie movies."
Jenny reached out to Cineworld on Instagram but was told after the offer of free tickets, her complaint couldn't go any further. She has now instructed her solicitors to take further action. She said: "Max hasn't even started school yet, with a big corporation this shouldn't be happening.
"If they had just put me in touch with someone from head officer then it would show they care. We have sent a letter from our solicitors who will likely be making a complaint to Enfield council and the film licensing/rating body. I want to ensure this never happens again as the cinema are not taking it seriously at all.
"Had the cinema had the decency to speak to me about it I probably wouldn't have taken legal action, but they have treated my complaint as more of an annoyance. Children at that age are like sponges and so impressionable, even just the noises of violence can leave a lasting impression and it's just not something two young children, especially one of pre-school age should ever be exposed to."
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Cineworld has been approached for comment.
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