Have you ever settled into your cinema seat only to realise you forgot your final toilet break just before the movie starts? No need to worry in the Netherlands — you’ll have a chance halfway through.
Lights, camera, [pause]… action 🎬! Many Dutch cinemas still run old Hollywood-style, with a 10 to 15-minute intermission in the middle of the screening.
What is it?
In the Netherlands, the experience of watching a movie and a sports game have one thing in common: a short halftime break.
It gives you the chance to stretch your legs, refresh, and spend more money at the concession stands. It’s certainly welcome with films the length of Oppenheimer and Babylon.
You’ll experience this in most independent cinemas and several chains here. There are some exceptions, but children’s films and films longer than 2.5 hours are almost always put on pause.
Ever tried a Dutch cinema? They'll serve you a 15min intermission halfway through 😂
— Frank Witte ☀️🇪🇺 Придет свобода (@Alarcos) September 14, 2017
Why do they do it?
Intermissions weren’t always driven by snack sales and dwindling attention spans — its origins are extremely practical.
In the early days of cinema, projector operators needed to change the projector reels and, thus, needed a break during the film. 📽
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Nowadays, the technology is more efficient, but with movies longer than three hours on the rise, the intermission fulfils other needs.
Especially following the pandemic, cinemas lost income when they could reopen but not sell food or drinks. The intermission has become a neat way to earn extra proceeds in the popcorn department. 🍿
Why is it quirky?
For one, the intermission has been phased out in most countries, so the Dutch cinema experience is one of few that maintains this tradition.
It’s also extremely divisive! Some viewers are against the interruption, thinking it makes the experience awkward, while others welcome the break.
The Netherlands even got into some hot water for implementing a break in Martin Scorsese’s almost 3.5-hour-long film, Killers of the Flower Moon — the act was called “a violation” by the film’s Oscar-winning editor. 😬
Perhaps my most controversial opinion, but if your film is more than 2.5 hours long, it needs an intermission. Human beings have bladders and movie theater concession stands will sell more tickets and also more drinks/snacks if people know they won't have to miss anything. https://t.co/Nyjy0arBhZ
— Mollie Katie 🖕😷🖕 (@molliekatie) October 27, 2023
Should you join in?
You might not have a choice! In cinemas that opt to include the intermission, you can’t stop those bright lights from flooding back on.
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It is largely embraced by the Dutch moviegoing crowd as an opportunity to grab more snacks and a half-time debrief about the film.
However, if you really like to stay in the zone while watching, there are still plenty of cinemas that skip intermissions.
Perhaps the most unfortunately timed interval comes in screening Titanic, where the break hits at just the same time as the iceberg (SPOILER!).
What do you think of this Dutch quirk? Have you experienced it? Tell us in the comments below!