Popular movie theatre snacks ranked from worst to best

Jun 15 2021, 6:00 pm

There isn’t a better way to spend your summer than plunked down with a bag of popcorn and staring up at the big screen in an unreasonably cold movie theatre.

The snacks you have in your arsenal can definitely enhance the viewing experience, which is why we’ve assembled a list of the very worst to the very best movie theatre snacks.

Whether you can actually go experience films or just fantasize about it at this point, we wanted to share our ranking.

15. Hot dogs

 

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Any time you opt for a hot dog at a movie theatre, it kind of feels like taking your life into your own hands. Hot dogs are questionable food as-is but put them into a movie theatre, and it makes them a true “mystery meat.”

14. Pizza

In a similar vein as the movie theatre hot dog, you really have to question your life choices when you order a slice of pizza at a movie. Pizza is messy on a good day, let alone inside a dark movie theatre. Do yourself a favour and steer clear when you see those slices ruminating under the warming lamps.

13. Nachos

 

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The gelatinous cheese is what makes movie theatre nachos what they are. The chips are very rarely (if ever) fresh, so submerging them in the nacho cheese is absolutely necessary.

12. Twizzlers

Shoutout to anyone who bites the ends of their licorice and uses it as a straw for their fountain pop or slushie. This is one of the single-most satisfying ways to consume licorice. Otherwise, it gets a little old after a few Twizzlers.

11. Fries

Fries might be a good movie theatre snack if you’re looking for a little more sustenance, but they absolutely have to be piping hot. Otherwise, they’re not worth consuming. Considering how infrequently people order these at the movies, you might be best to steer away altogether.

10. Skittles

Skittles

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Skittles are a fine, fine candy, but they’re deducted a few points because they don’t exactly lend themselves to the movie-watching experience. A handful of Skittles in your mouth and it’s difficult to discern any sort of dialogue happening in a movie.

9. Junior Mints

On their own, Junior Mints make for a “refreshing” snack, as Kramer so famously put it in Seinfeld. But the mint flavour doesn’t exactly pair well with the other cornucopia of flavours going on at the snack stand. Mint – with salty, buttery popcorn – with super-sweet pop? That sounds like the world’s weirdest movie theatre fusion appetizer.

8. Kit Kat Bites

 

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Kit Kats are usually available in the full-size format at the movies, but the bite-sized option is the superior choice. That way, you don’t consume the whole damn thing in one sitting. It’s easy to inhale a Kit Kat in 60 seconds flat, but the bites can slow down even the most competitive eaters.

7. Fountain Pop

There’s something special about the movie theatre fountain pop that can’t be replicated. Maybe it’s the completely oversized cup, maybe it’s the fact that it’s half full of ice, but a big ol’ fountain pop is a nice companion to your favourite flick.

6. Milk Duds

These things can be scarce to find in theatres, but the Milk Dud is a classic concession stand snack. It’s hard to improve upon its simplicity, but these things are a primo option at the snack counter.

5. Sour Patch Kids

Sour Patch Kids

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One of the premier bite-sized movie theatre snack options, Sour Patch kids provide a bit of balance to the otherwise overly salty-overly sugary snack experience. The fact that there are a handful of different flavours also adds some variety to every handful of Sour Patch Kids. But be forewarned: partake in the entire bag of candy and you might walk out of the theatre with a sore tongue. It’s weird, but it’s a thing. Trust us.

4. Slushie

 

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Who wants sugar? If you really need to get amped up for a movie, just knock back a slushie and your eyes will bug right out of your head. It’s a cool treat to help wash down your popcorn and other movie theatre snacks. Bonus points if you can get your hands on a Kool-Aid slushie, because those things are the absolute best.

3. Peanut M&M’s

 

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Peanut M&M’s are the best legit movie theatre snack (that isn’t popcorn or something you smuggled in on your own). It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty and some have even gone as far as to mix their peanut M&M’s with popcorn to make some sort of movie snack hybrid.

In theory, it sounds great, but most of the M&M’s just fall to the bottom. At any rate, the bite-size nature of peanut M&M’s makes for the ideal movie snack companion because you can chomp on them all movie long (or until you reach the bottom of the bag).

2. Contraband Snacks

The best snack you can bring to a movie is often the one you can sneak into the theatre. Why be restricted by the snack selection at the counter when you can stock up at Bulk Barn or the grocery store with all your favourites at a fraction of the price?

Heck, if you’re feeling adventurous, sneak in something a little more substantial: a quarter-chicken dinner, a footlong sub, or an entire pizza. For the most part, the movie theatre people don’t care, so long as you’re not making a giant mess.

1. Popcorn

 

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Add up all the rest of the snacks on this list and they might not even equal the awesomeness of original movie theatre popcorn. And it has to be the popcorn with the pseudo butter topping (whatever it’s made of).

Greasy, salty, and crunchy, popcorn somehow heightens the entire movie-going experience. A good movie can’t salvage bad popcorn, but good popcorn can always make a bad movie seem better.

Ian HunterIan Hunter

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