How to Spice Up a Winter Movie Night

Movie night can be fun, exciting, thrilling, or any other combination of emotions, depending on the movies you select for viewing. But if you’ve had several movie nights in a row, or if this is something you do on a weekly basis, eventually, the formula might get stale. 

This is especially true in winter, when limited activities outdoors could force you inside for more digital entertainment.

So what steps can you take to spice up the average winter movie night?

Set a Theme

One option is to decide on an overarching theme, rather than watching movies randomly or watching the latest releases. The more obscure the theme, the more interesting the movie night becomes; instead of simply choosing action movie night, you can choose action movies that take place in office buildings or action movies that feature a specific actor.

Once you have a theme in mind, you can build an entire evening of entertainment based on that theme, investing in thematic foods, decorations, preliminary music, and even secondary activities. Just make sure you also include classic staples like buttered popcorn! 

Light a Fire

With a fireplace or a new fireplace insert, you can light up a fire and instantly make your winter movie night much cozier. You’ll be able to keep everyone in the room warm enough to continue enjoying the films, and the soft crackle of flames in the background can add a layer of ambiance, especially during quiet moments and the time you have between movies.

Nail the Surround Sound

Movies become much more immersive and entertaining with a proper surround sound setup. And if you don’t yet have a surround sound system, you might be surprised at how affordable and easy to install they actually are. These days, you can get a decent system for just a few hundred dollars, and if you choose wireless speakers, you might be able to install it in the span of a couple of hours.

Optimally, you’ll have a couple of speakers at the front, a couple of speakers in the rear, and the subwoofer to boost the lowest frequency sounds.

Create Dynamic Lighting

Smart lighting makes almost anything possible. With lights framing your television, main lighting for the living room, and secondary lighting to illuminate the surrounding area for safety, you can coordinate a brilliant display. Keep the lighting dim so the movie stands out, and use different colors to establish the right mood. If you’re showing a dark horror movie, a deep red might be the perfect fit. If you’re watching something calming or nostalgic, a brighter blue might be a better fit. Better yet, adjust the lighting throughout the movie to fit whatever’s happening on screen (though this might take some extra work).

Encourage Pajamas

Encourage everyone attending your movie night to wear pajamas or other comfy clothing. This is especially important if you’re inviting guests outside of your family, since they might feel a natural pressure to wear something slightly more formal. Movies are best enjoyed in the comfiest clothes, so make sure everyone feels welcome wearing them.

Crack the Windows and Pile on the Blankets

Some people may enjoy cracking the windows slightly during winter, letting in the cold, fresh air and introducing a slight chill into the room. This way, you’ll have the perfect excuse to bundle up with thick blankets. This isn’t an experience for everyone, but if you enjoy the cold, or if you just like getting warm underneath cozy blankets, this is a great way to heighten the movie-watching experience.

This type of maneuver also works great for watching movies that happen to take place in cold environments.

Build a Couch Fort

Couch forts are wonderful for kids – and most adults still enjoy them, too, no matter how much they might insist otherwise. If you have kids, spend some time before the movie setting up a lavish fort made out of couch cushions, pillows, and blankets; it’s a great bonding experience that leads to much more comfortable movie-watching. And if you’re only going to have adults at this movie night, read the room – with the right group of people, building a couch fort as an adult is even more entertaining than it was as a child.

Experiment

Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with new types of movies, foods, and approaches to movie night. We often feel a sense of stagnation whenever we adhere to our routines too rigidly – but you can correct this by willingly tinkering with new ideas.

With a handful of changes to your approach and a willingness to try new things, you can breathe new life into even the dullest movie night routines during winter. In time, your film screenings could become unforgettable for everyone involved.