Cinemas & movie theaters – All our local tips

As a foreigner, going to the movies in Holland is fun because basically all the films are in English! Big movie-theaters like Pathe de Munt and Pathe Tuschinski can be easily found in the center but are commercial, enormous and lack intimate atmosphere. Although, I can’t deny that Pathe Tuschinski is beautifully ornamented on the inside (Reguliersbreestraat 26).

My personal favourite is Cinecenter, just near the Leidseplein. This theater mostly screens arthouse films. English, Spanisch, Italian, Scandinavian etc. films are part of the daily film programm. Unlike the large commercial cinemas, Cinecenter has short breaks in the film in order to get a drink or use the toilet. Great advantage!

Since the weather is not always great in Holland, going to the cinema is a great event! Cinecenter is cosy, intimate and screens film festivals prizewinners from for example Cannes, Venice, Toronto and Rotterdam. Besides, it’s affordable.

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Cinecenter | Cinemas | Entrance ticket € 8.50
Lijnbaansgracht 236 | Canals | +31206236615
Mon – Sat from 15:45, Sun from 10:30

Monday night is film night in De Nieuwe Anita, a cozy little bar that used to be run by squatters. The movies are presented by an American dude named Jeffrey Babcock, who’s been a part of the sub-cultural scene of Amsterdam for quite some time.

Not only does he select those hidden, twisted gems that you would not find yourself, he also drags you into the world of the filmmaker. By mixing factual information with juicy details about the often quite eccentric lives of the directors, he creates the right context for the viewer to experience the film in, in all its richness.

If you need explaining afterwards, or want to know more about the filmmaker, you can strike up a conversation with the host, who’s probably hanging around having a beer in the living room like café as well.

The films at De Nieuwe Anita are not for the faint-hearted, but rather for those who like to be stunned, baffled or shocked. If you are open to it they can offer a momentary escape to a realm that can be perverted but beautiful, or terrifyingly philosophical.

Cinemanita takes place every Monday night at 20.30. Be there at least half an hour in advance, as the seats are usually quickly filled.

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Cinemanita Nieuwe Anita | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas | Ticket € 2.50
Frederik Hendrikstraat 111 | Westerpark | +31641503512
Mon 20:30

Located in front of one of the bigger branches of the UvA (University of Amsterdam) the café is swarmed by students during the day. Their continuing presence shows that the hours in between classes are longer than the classes themselves. The UvA students spend their free time drinking lattes, cappuccino’s or the occasional espresso, reading a newspaper, or, I see this quite often, studying.

What looks like a café during the day, feels more like a pub at night. With the candles lit, the music turned up a bit, and a friendly beer drinking crowd, I dare to say that Kriterion is the only cinema in Amsterdam that has a real pub in it. You can go there just to drink a beer, or just to see a movie, but for anybody that wants to combine these two experiences, Kriterion is the perfect place. It is one of the main things that attracted me, since I like to think of going to the movies as going out. Besides, the conversations about the movie seem so

much more insightful when you’re gulping down a cold beer.

If you’re from abroad you will not feel a stranger, since a large part of Kriterion’s clientele consists of foreign students or memb

er of our international community. You can easily blend in with a very diverse crowd of moviegoers, students from all over, and the quite eccentric individuals living in the neighborhood.

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Kriterion | Bars, Cinemas | Movie € 8.00
Roetersstraat 170 | Plantage/Oost | +31206231708
Sun – Thu 10:30 – 01:00, Fri 10:30 – 03:00, Sat 12:30 – 03:00

Kriterion’s (check the Kriterion article) Sneak Preview is supposed to be the oldest in Europe. Whether this has got anything to do with it or not I don’t know, but this Sneak is unlike any other film experience I know.

Every Tuesday night around nine in the evening the bar quickly fills up with a consistent crowd of real movie fanatics. As they have seen a lot of “Sneaks” before, they either are, or consider themselves to be, film buffs. This has some consequences for the way you yourself will sit through the movie… You should, surely, expect that: 1. Many people will leave the film room at the beginning, in the middle, or even right before the end. 2. Your neighbors will feel at liberty to state their opinion out LOUD. 3. You will see a lot of (heated) discussions about the movie afterwards.

You might either be pleasantly surprised by the movie itself or very disappointed. I can assure you the latter will not spoil your night; just join in on the booing and feel free to laugh at moments when you are not supposed to.

The movie that you will see in the Sneak Preview has not premiered yet, but will do so in the next weeks or months. The title is closely guarded secret, but when you tell somebody of the staff which languages you speak, he or she will give you a go or a no go.

Be there early if you want to be sure to get tickets.

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Sneak Preview | Cinemas | Movie € 5.00
Roetersstraat 170 | Plantage/Oost | +31206231708
Tue 22:15 until around 00:00

Quite far in the eastern part of the city you find a cinema/club/pub/restaurant rolled into one. Studio K is located prominently on the Timorplein, in a building that used to be a school for craftsmanship. The building has been beautifully renovated and it looks airy and fresh. The large building houses a budget hotel, and a number of offices for small companies. Studio K is an ambitious project, meant to create a cultural and creative center in a neighborhood that has otherwise very little to offer.

It is located in a part of the Zeeburg quarter that was already quite decent, but in my opinion this little oasis is working its magic on the rest of the district, drawing more creative initiatives to the neighbourhood.

I would not know another place in Zeeburg that is as suitable as Studio K to have a drink or enjoy a movie, but I would in fact take the effort to make the trip to this part of the town to enjoy a beer or a proper meal in a beautiful bar, served by a friendly staff, and to watch a movie if I feel li ke it.

Their selection of films is usually good, although it often includes some reruns. I do not always feel like being in the midst of the rumor of the city and Studio K has all the atmosphere that you need in a quieter part of town.

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Studio K | Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Festivals & events, Restaurants (International) | Coffee € 1.70
Timorplein 62 | Plantage/Oost | +31206920422
Check programming

At the end of the very lively Haarlemmerdijk you will find the oldest cinema in the Netherlands. The building of The Movies does not look very impressive from the outside, but when you enter it you find yourself in a different era.

The whole interior is in the original, well-preserved Art Deco style. In the café or in the film rooms you feel as if you stepped back into a time when cinema was young and exciting.

The bar inside the cinema is rather large, with a drinking and an eating area. The place feels more like a café than the bars in bigger cinemas, and you don’t feel pressured to go to your seat in the film room. The beer that they serve, from the south of the Netherlands, is one of my favorites.

A delicious, cold beer makes for a very pleasant cinematic experience, and The Movies is certainly a good place to watch a film. Their program usually consists of a mix of art films and more mainstream cinema, so you are likely to find something that suits you. If you are in the neighborhood but you don’t feel like settling in a dark room, you might just want to take a peek at the interior, or have a drink or a meal.

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The Movies | Bars, Cinemas | Movie € 9.00
Haarlemmerdijk 161 | Canals | +31206386016
Check the website for opening times