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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Grown man at cinema on his own

816 replies

Littlebluecreature · 02/06/2025 14:03

Watching Lilo & Stitch..is this odd?

Here with Dd, only one other family here…and this guy, munching on snacks..watching Lilo & Stitch

Is it just me 😂

OP posts:
PeapodMcgee · 02/06/2025 19:09

Even if he was a paedo (and it's kind of offensive to assume he must be), what can you do about it? Nothing. They walk and sit among us, in their hundreds.

12doublerolls · 02/06/2025 19:10

He probably has a film review blog

TheeNotoriousPIG · 02/06/2025 19:19

I go to the pictures by myself, to watch anything that is of interest. If he's of an age where Lilo and Stitch originally came out, he probably just adored it as a child and wanted to see the new version. I wouldn't think much of it, apart from how nice it was to see someone else who is brave enough to go out and do things on their own, without worrying about what anyone else thinks.

HaddyAbrams · 02/06/2025 19:19

housethatbuiltme · 02/06/2025 19:02

The relevance is that its not debatable its mathematical fact, middle age is simply the middle range of the average life expectancy which is 35 - 45... 'feelings' and if you 'feel' old don't really come into it.

It absoloutly cannot be 60 thats ridiculous, only 0.02% of people reach 100 years old so trying to claim 50 would be ridiculously pushing it never mind a claiming a decade past that.

I'm in my late 30s so younger than you apparently and I'm very much 'middle aged'. Its not 'feeling' or 'self perception' (quite telling on your own thoughts and fears related to age) just fact.

20 year olds thinking I'm old isnt relevant. My 5 year old niece thinks my 18 year old is old. He's not. But 18 is a big number if you're 5.

Middle age (according to many many online sources, and most people i know) is generally considered to be 40-60ish. Even though we know that's not technically the middle of most people's lives

Incidently, what are you after middle age? Old? Because 45 is not old. It's 20 years off of retirement.

GiddyCrab · 02/06/2025 19:21

TheNightSurgeon · 02/06/2025 14:07

Man watches film alone whilst eating snacks - normal.

Someone goes to the cinema with their child and sits on their phone bitching about the other cinema goers - you're the weird one.

This with bells on.

hotpotlover · 02/06/2025 19:22

It's completely normal.

Before meeting my husband and having children, I went to the cinema many times by myself.

Many adults are also into kids films/cartoons.

Honestly, there is nothing remotely weird about this.

viques · 02/06/2025 19:25

TheSwarm · 02/06/2025 17:03

As others have said, defending men is not something I make a habit of but for fuck sake. An adult man (or woman) going to see a film by himself is not and will never be deserving of any suspicion.

So what if it's a kids film? Unless we are talking paw patrol levels of shit, most kids films will appeal to adults as well because, y'know, normally adults have to take their kids to see them. Some of the best films ever made are classed as "kids" or "family" films, do you think that no adult should be allowed to watch them without an accompanying child?

Exactly this. In my experience the very best childrens films have subtle little jokes in them, primarily aimed at amusing the adults who are accompanying the children the film is marketed at.

Dangermoo · 02/06/2025 19:27

GetOffTheCounter · 02/06/2025 19:04

I saw Peter Rabbit 7 times in the cinema. (Not the second one. That one I endured only a single time. )

3 times with DS1. A 4th time with my dad. The rest on my own. Love that film.

As an aside (and I actually talked about it on Mn at the time) I went out to lunch with my boss (known as 'Shouty Boss' by all who worked for him because he was - um- shouty) and his new trainee. He asked what she was doing at the weekend and she said she was taking her nephew to see Peter Rabbit,. I exclaimed how much I loved that film and he exploded. I mean, like no exaggeration. How disgusting (actual word) that they put a film out with that name that had nothing to do with the actual Peter Rabbit. We then endured a massive rant. I at one point said meekly; 'Have you seen it?' only to be treated to a further rant. (He had not). I cannot even recollect in detail what his objection was. Only that he had many objections.

Still a bloody good film.

It's a wonderful, sweet film. The only time I've been able to endure James Corden. I did find the second one hilarious, when they were introducing all his new mates, as though they were getting ready for a bank job 😆 🤣 😂

Petitchat · 02/06/2025 19:29

TheNightSurgeon · 02/06/2025 14:07

Man watches film alone whilst eating snacks - normal.

Someone goes to the cinema with their child and sits on their phone bitching about the other cinema goers - you're the weird one.

Agreed...

PinkyFlamingo · 02/06/2025 19:39

Littlebluecreature · 02/06/2025 14:14

Ok wasn’t trying to be awful at all, wasn’t judging him, feel bad now.
I love going to the cinema on my own, it was just the kids thing, that’s all

Of course you were judging him! You asked if it was odd!! I bet you wouldnt have started a thread about a woman at the cinema on her own....

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 02/06/2025 19:40

Yes it’s just you.

He wanted to watch a fun film, what’s wrong with that?

Try not to pass your weirdness onto your kid.

PinkyFlamingo · 02/06/2025 19:40

AzureShark · 02/06/2025 14:11

Good grief. Yeah, yeah reasons, reasons🙄

In reality, of course it's bloody odd. I'd be curious if I saw a grown man sitting watching a cartoon alone in a cinema.

I must say though, the replies so far are amusing. Absolutely wild how people are just desperate to display how accepting and unflappable they are 😂

Edited

It's not a cartoon!! 🙄

Hankunamatata · 02/06/2025 19:41

Nearly 50 year old women and lilo-stitch was movie I really wanted to see. I would have gone alone if my teens hadn't wanted to see it (and it was really good)

Plus lots people have cinema passes. I often used to go when I had an afternoon off

user1476613140 · 02/06/2025 19:42

May have been a mystery shopper...

Ninkinpopodopolis · 02/06/2025 19:43

He could have been staff, filling time between a split shift.

Umidontknow · 02/06/2025 19:44

Littlebluecreature · 02/06/2025 14:14

Ok wasn’t trying to be awful at all, wasn’t judging him, feel bad now.
I love going to the cinema on my own, it was just the kids thing, that’s all

You clearly where judging him. Unless he is behaving strangely (other than going to see a film you feel he shouldn't be interestedin despite not knowing anything about him other than he is male) there is absolutely no reason for it to concern you in any way.

Deathraystare · 02/06/2025 19:44

steff13 · 02/06/2025 14:55

I feel bad that men are judged for just existing. I mean they're still better off than us in lots of ways, but this poor guy was just existing.

Yeah. It is not often I feel sorry for men but Jeez when a bloke cannot go to the pictures withot being judged.....

StScholastica · 02/06/2025 19:47

This is awful. Poor man.
I do voluntary work for a suicide charity and so many fellas are suffering with anxiety and depression with no one to turn to. Imagine if he's new to the area, has no mates, feels lonely or down and plucks up the courage to go and watch a feel good film, and then gets judged to be a creep.

Dangermoo · 02/06/2025 19:47

Ninkinpopodopolis · 02/06/2025 19:43

He could have been staff, filling time between a split shift.

Good call, that.

LaughingCat · 02/06/2025 20:01

No, often go to see kids movies by myself because my other half isn’t interested. So don’t think it’s weird at all!

Penthrowingsurvivor · 02/06/2025 20:02

NameChangerPopstar · 02/06/2025 16:53

I'll go against the grain and say I do find it odd.

Lilo and stitch isn't really an adults film. He may have a learning disability and being innocently enjoying it. Of course.

However, as someone that has worked professionally with men with child sex offence histories, seeing a lone male (assuming he has no additional needs) watching a kids movie by himself would make me question his motives.

Would your husbands or boyfriends enjoy watching lilo and stitch on their own? I doubt it.

My own husband got all kind of passive aggressive unpleasant female attitude for taking his baby to a baby group, him being <shock horror> a MAN. Not a breast-feeding group, a baby group.

He's used to weird women judging him for no reason other than having a penis it seems. Now going to the cinema alone is a crime?

Then we moan about the lack of equality.

GameOfJones · 02/06/2025 20:03

@Whiskyfromsmallglasses don't let judgemental idiots put you off. I love going to the cinema on my own....peace and quiet and nobody stealing my popcorn is perfect!

I went to see the Goosebumps film on my own when that came out because I'd loved the books when I was younger. It hadn't crossed my mind that other people in the cinema would think I'm a paedophile! It says a lot more about them and their strange thinking to be honest than it does about you so please do go and enjoy whatever film you would like to see.

I'm really looking forward to How to Train Your Dragon.

CloudywMeatballs · 02/06/2025 20:03

Blackdow · 02/06/2025 14:07

If he’s middle aged then he was a kid when the first movie came out and it light just be nostalgia. He isn’t doing anything wrong. Jesus. Cannot believe you’ve started a thread about this.

I'm middle aged. I was very much already a grown up when the original movie came out!

Supima · 02/06/2025 20:04

xsquared · 02/06/2025 16:29

Going to the cinema on your own isn't odd. I do occasionally. In fact the last time I went on my own I had a pizza all to myself served to my seat!

We don't know what his reasons are, and that's none of your business either.

It's odd that you find it funny enough for the laughing emoji, and to start a thread hoping others will join in, instead of paying attention to the film itself and enjoying time with your dd.

I was desperate for a diversion many, many times during my ‘accompanying my kids to shit kids’ movies’ years. Baffles me that adults would go to see them unless they had to. Fill your boots if that’s your thing, but it is the greatest joy of my kids getting older that I now longer have to see kids’ movies.

HRTQueen · 02/06/2025 20:06

Autie · 02/06/2025 18:35

And then a man with ill intent can just stand up in a cinema, unnoticed, walk over to a child and sit next to them, also unnoticed, because the parent is so into the film they wouldn't notice any of these things? I mean come on. Surely you know how ridiculous that is.

I wasn’t referring to tbe children not being supervised

some just want to be around young children knowing they absolutely shouldn’t be it’s part of their perversion

I also work with people who have been so institutionalised that the regress to very child like behaviour and it wouldn’t surprise me if some went to see Disney type films on their own

but for whatever the reason if I was in the op’s position yes it would raise a suspicion I don’t know and will never know it’s just that a suspicion