See that cluster of already taken seats? That's the choice spot.

I used to tune the speakers in movie theaters.

If it’s a Dolby certified theater there will be a chair that has a placard on it, that’s where the mic was placed to tune the theater. It will always be center, about 2/3rds of the way back. Most other certifications mirror this in some way.

We did THX certification and that was a little bit more broad, we wanted the “sweet spot” to be an area, not a single seat. This is why a THX certified room will look different than most other theater rooms, because it’s designed for maximum coverage. This also means we are sacrificing sound quality for sound consistency, making sure every seat sounds the same. With that being said we completely ignored the margins, they were called quarter margins and anything within 25% of the edge was disqualified from primary readings. We would take secondary readings from the edge, but that was just to verify that there were no glaring problems, not for actual certifications.

In short… central-ish is good for any movie theater.

• Closer to the center is always best.
• Moving back is preferable to moving forward.
• Front row is the worst, because you'll be straining your neck to look up.
• Far sides are kind of bad because you end up viewing the movie from an angle.
• Back row is hit or miss depending on the theater, if the seats are right up against the wall you may not be able to recline them.
• In my opinion, sound quality can be hit or miss depending on the theater and what you're seeing. Video quality is pretty consistent.
• While it's nice to have snacks and drinks during a movie, they are often a big rip off (like $8 soda and $20 popcorn kind of ripoff!), so just know that if you plan on getting snacks it'll cost a lot more than you think. A lot of people sneak stuff into the theater. Whether it's worth it to you is your call.
• People these days seemingly don't know how to watch a movie without being annoying. If someone nearby is bothering you, I suggest just moving seats to an open seat. Don't let it ruin your movie.
• I think as TVs get bigger and better, the movie theater experience is much less impressive today than it used to feel when I was a kid in the 90s! It's hard for me to want to go to the theater when I compare it to the experience of just watching a movie on my home theater system. It's probably still worth the experience though!

Centermost is always the best viewing angle. If that's taken, move back, not closer. The back doesn't give great pictures quality but front rows are basically unwatchable

Is that a rousing game of space invaders?

Center isle, center seat.

With IMAX more than regular theaters, you prefer to sit further back from the screen. Unless you like craning your neck.

There are some responses already, but I will offer yet a different one: From a technical viewpoint, middle-middle is best. The seat in the middle of the middle row.

The reason is because movie theatres need to get calibrated: The sound and the picture get adjusted for the best possible viewing/sound experience. This calibration process usually targets the middle of the room, because this ensures that even the edges will at least have a decent sound and a decent picture. Nonetheless the middle-middle position will be where sound and picture are optimal. You sit at the centre of the area targeted by the sound system and where are at an optimal distance from the screen for the sharpest picture.

Of course, that is theoretical. Specific movie theatres may have a variety of reasons to go for a calibration that favours different spots and whether people want to sit in the middle-middle is a wholly different question.

When I was younger and went almost weekly it was always front row, as close to the middle as possible. Now I still prefer kind of close but not front row close. Still try and get centered.

Further to the back to me feels more like watching tv, but I’ll sit back there if my friends prefer it and be fine.

If I were to pick from your map it’d be directly behind the center handicap seats.

it depends on where in the world you are and what type of theater you're going to. in many theaters the front row is the best row. in an American shit chain theater, the front row might be way too close, because they just want to get as many people in there as possible. you need to know the place

Pretty much anything that's not first or second row is probably fine. Movie theaters usually aren't that big, like a concert hall. There won't be obstructions, either. Those center seats are prime, but there's not a huge difference, other than if you're way too close in row 1 or 2.

Important question: what movie are you gonna go see?

As a wheelchair user, what a shitty theatre setup. The first few rows are always too close and you have to lean back to see the center of the screen. Although that is a small theatre, so... I'd say 4th row is probably good as a guess.

I'd never go all the way back to the wall in a larger theatre, but that one I might. And I highly prefer center.

For me 3 or 4 rows from the front is ideal. I don't ever feel it strains my neck personally and it makes it easier to appreciate the detail of the film.

Best seat is beginning of last third in the middle. Like when you have 12 rows you take row 9 and choose the middle seats. They are the best and this is where they sit when they test things and watch the premiere.

I know you didn't ask this bit, but be prepared for it to be loud. Like really loud. If you've any aversions there it might be worth taking some earplugs just in case.

Like, feel it in your bones loud sometimes.

IMAX has better resolution than standard. With standard films, they can look low-res to some (especially gamers who might be used to higher resolutions).

Like someone else said, it really depends on the theater chain and the type of seats. If they are reclining, chances are the distance between rows is larger. Best options would be middle row, one row closer, or up to two rows behind. If it’s IMAX, then it’s definitely safer to go for a farther row vs closer, and even the last row shouldn’t be that bad if you don’t have any other choice.

I’m also guessing based on the layout that the first 5 rows are at ground level so you’ll be looking up the entire time. So I would suggest anywhere starting from row 6.

Don’t overthink it - most are still Available. Stay away from edges and corners

Saw tron ares in imax, had never been to imax before. The seats vibrated really well, the music hit hard. Really cool experience, you could just feel the scenes. Wouldn't do imax for just any movie though, maybe the fifth element.

That is crazy!! I love theaters, always have.

Yeah normal theater sit center and kind of middle of the seats. You'll see where people congregate more.

The popcorn is hit or miss. The butter is thick and greasy and may give you a stomach ache xD

IMAX is total garbage. Turns every seat into the worst seat in the theater. Definitely the least ideal way to view a movie. It's just a gimmick to justify outrageously priced tickets. Great way to induce a headache from both straining your neck and eyes.

Usually in the center. Any position that puts you in the middle of the "screen" so you won't have to keep your head up or down. If I can't sit in the center, I prefer further back over in the front, but that's just my preference.

IIRC, IMAX is a standard in terms of audio for cinemas. A cinema might be really good without being IMAX certified, but the imax certification does convey quality. As for difference, that can vary a lot. But I'd argue that a modern cinema with a proper audio setup won't be that different than an IMAX cinema.