It’s easy to find Spider-Man: No Way Home at any theater you head to, but those seeking out the latest Sundance release or a black-and-white classic might need to do some searching. Luckily, NoVA is home to various theaters that offer the newest indie films, like Licorice Pizza, Parallel Mothers, and Belle.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
While a lot of movie theaters have food and alcohol options nowadays, at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, which has locations in Loudoun and Woodbridge, you can have brunch while viewing modern pop classics — like The Twilight Saga: Twilight. Who doesn’t want to watch the 2008 hit film’s famous baseball scene with a plate of French toast and a glass of Italian 75? The Alamo’s visitors can also watch the newest releases, from big budget films to an upcoming documentary on Kanye West.
AMC Theatres
Across the DMV, AMC Theatres offers various locations with the latest blockbuster hits and indie films. Arlington moviegoers can visit the AMC Shirlington 7 or Courthouse Plaza 8, while those in Alexandria can see a show at the Hoffman Center 22. If you’re looking to get some shopping done before or after a film, you can head to the Tysons Corner 16, located inside the Tysons Corner Center.
While all the AMCs have a number of films in common—including AMC Artisan Films, a curated list of specially chosen films that offer a unique perspective or spark conversation — each theater offers some of its own special programming. At Tysons Corner 16 and Courthouse Plaza 8, Gamestop: Rise of the Players is playing for those looking to catch a documentary on the Gamestop stock market and the amateur investors who made it a phenomenon.
Angelika Film Center & Cafe at Mosaic
The movie theater is bringing classics, foreign and independent films, and blockbusters to Fairfax’s Mosaic district—including a Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize nominee, The Pink Cloud. If you’re not looking to see a movie on one of the theater’s eight screens, the franchise also offers Angelika Anywhere, where moviegoers can rent or buy movies through the website. No subscription is required for the service—and it could be the solution when Netflix knows exactly which movie you’re searching for but doesn’t have in its catalog.
Cinema Arts Theatre
Perhaps the go-to place for your indie film needs, with mostly independent and foreign movies showing here, Cinema Arts Theatre also offers cheaper ticket options than other theaters in the area—with adult tickets starting at $12 after 6 p.m. (compared to the $16-plus price range at other locations). Like the Angelika’s Angelika Anywhere streaming service, Cinema Arts also offers virtual cinema, though it has fewer selections. The theater also has a sister in University Mall Theatres, which serves as a budget option for NoVA residents—all tickets are $8, and concessions, with the exception of alcohol, fall under $5.
Cinemark Fairfax Corner and XD
Cinemark, which owns theaters all over the U.S. and Latin America, is mostly home to blockbusters at its Fairfax Corner location, but there are still options for checking out the latest indie and foreign flicks. Filmmakers themselves can even host a private screening of their own project at Cinemark. Much like other theaters, Cinemark offers luxury loungers and reserved seating—though its XD viewing option, which has the largest screen in the building, custom surround sound, and a projector capable of showing 35 trillion colors, sets it apart from others.
Feature image courtesy Angelika Film Center
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