Kelsey decided she\u2019d seen enough with AMC Theatres \u2014 and wanted everyone else to see it too.<\/p>\n
Kelsey, a Columbus, Ohio-area TikToker, wasn\u2019t there to review the film. She was there to document what $60 bought her and a guest at their local AMC Theatre.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, AMC,\u201d she began, camera rolling across the auditorium seats before the previews even started. \u201cJust wanted to document the conditions for the movie that it was $40 for the two of us top tickets, and then we got drinks, and it was $60.\u201d<\/p>\n
No popcorn. No combo upgrade. Just two tickets and two beverages and a theater she clearly felt wasn\u2019t holding up its end of the bargain.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I just want to document that this is the condition of the theater prior to the movie,\u201d she continued, panning the camera to showcase what she was sitting in.<\/p>\n
What was wrong with the AMC theater?<\/p>\n
The state of the theater, in particular the seats, left many commenters appalled. Her video shows velvety red seats, many with visible signs of wear.<\/p>\n
One person suggested going to the competition. \u201cAMC is disgusting,\u201d they wrote. \u201cCinemark is the move.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another person said, \u201cYeah, I don\u2019t use AMC at all. Definitely has gone down over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some people noted the age and material of the seat covers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait, theaters are still using cloth seats?\u201d one person asked. \u201cAll the ones I\u2019ve been too around here are leather. This is crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
What customers are sitting in might matter more than what they\u2019re paying. A 2024 study published<\/a> by CleanLink found that the average cinema seat harbors roughly 1,864 colonies of bacteria \u2014 approximately 14 times more than a typical toilet seat. Cupholders fared even worse: the average cinema cup holder contained around 2,396 colonies, with mold discovered in at least one of the samples tested.<\/p>\n This issue is not specific to AMC, however.<\/p>\n Is AMC in trouble?<\/p>\n Kelsey\u2019s frustration with the seating arrives at a particularly loaded moment for AMC, the world\u2019s largest theater chain.<\/p>\n