Amsterdam Cinema Guide

One of the first things I did when I landed in Amsterdam was set up a Dutch bank account so that I could subscribe to the Netherlands’ Cineville service, a monthly subscription that allows you access to almost every arthouse cinema in the Netherlands for any of their showings. I made it my goal this semester to visit as many cinemas as possible, putting my Cineville card to good use, and now I hope to share my findings for the next movie-lover who passes through Amsterdam. 

Here are my credentials: 

Clearly, I have gained a very particular—and slightly embarrassing—reputation of a movie theater connoisseur, but without further ado, let me take you through my ranking. 

1. De Uitkijk

Right down the street from the Rijksmuseum, De Uitkijk is the most perfect night cap on a cozy fall night. The cinema looks a lot bigger from the outside, but when you walk in, you are immediately crammed shoulder to shoulder with your neighbor in line as they try to buy their ticket. The entry room has two wooden tables shoved into a corner paired with red velvet couches, and a bar right next door, separated only by the doorway into the singular theater in the cinema. If you see a movie at De Uitkijk, make sure you get there early enough to order a drink before they run out of glasses at the bar. There is only one theater in the cinema which, of course, has the classic red seats—probably the most comfortable of all of the seats I was lucky enough to sit in this semester—and really only shows re-runs. This cinema is undeniably the best way to welcome fall, with its cozy vibes. There is nothing like biking to De Uitkijk on a crisp November evening with the leaves swirling around you, whizzing past the Christmas lights that the city has started to put up, just to kick back with a glass of red wine and watch a vintage film.

2. Kriterion

UvA’s green shining light right across the street from the Roeterseiland campus and only a fifteen-minute walk away from Social Hub City, Kriterion is where all of the coolest kids on campus congregate to smoke their cigarettes after their painfully long two-hour lecture. In all seriousness, Kriterion is a bar/cinema with brilliant red low-lighting and golden accents decorating the interior. There are three theaters in the cinema: the largest resides on the first floor, and is adorned with classic red velvet seats where they typically show new releases; the other two theaters are much smaller, with approximately ten rows of blue velvet seats, and are typically reserved for older re-runs. Kriterion is a great option if you are looking for a place to study during the day at their bar, if you are looking for a place to people-watch some of the best-dressed people on campus, or, if you’re looking for a fabulous first-date location (if you’re feeling brave enough). Kriterion is also most convenient, based on location and price—it has the cheapest student cinema ticket in the city for 8.50 euros!

3. Lab111

If you’re looking for an 80s-arcade-vintage feel when you go to the movies, I would immediately recommend Lab111. There are neon signs and arcade games scattered throughout the entire theater, and vintage movie theater posters decorate nearly every blank space on the walls—it really feels like you stepped into a time machine in this movie theater. Though the cinema itself is definitely one of the larger cinema’s in the city, the showrooms themselves are fairly small and have limited seating, so you should definitely plan ahead if you’re hoping to experience in this vintage time machine. One of my favorite parts about this theater, though, is that they have vending machines scattered throughout the building, making it a perfect solo-date spot so as you can avoid speaking to a single soul on your individual adventure. 

4. De FilmHallen 

De FilmHallen is a transformed warehouse that gives your movie theater going experience a much more casual and relaxed feel. The industrial feel of this cinema offers a casualness that cannot be achieved in any other theater, and the cinema draws in a crowd that ranges from young children running dangerously on the concrete floors to an elderly couple sharing a bottle of wine at a nearby metal table. A perfect place to see a newly released blockbuster—like Wicked: For Good—with your entire Study Abroad friend group, or a vintage rerun in a more modern setting. One of the best things about this theater, though, is that you can go to the FoodHallen right next door, a food hall that serves almost every cuisine under the sun, before seeing a movie. The perfect evening is readily available at De FilmHallen and the neighboring FoodHallen, and I recommend everyone studying abroad in Amsterdam spend at least one evening indulging in the delicious food offered by this area, and indulging in an even more delicious night at the cinema. 

5. Tuschinski Theater

Residing in a much busier part of town and likely twelve times larger than De Uitkijk, the massive, borderline obnoxious Art Deco cinema, Tuschinski Theater is a cinema that showcases blockbusters like Wicked: For Good and Zootopia II. A perfect spot, if you’re missing the American movie theater experience, this theater has all of the over-buttered popcorn a girl could ask for but with a quintessential European architectural feel (If you ever catch me walking down the street, do ask me to give you the history of this cinema’s rich architectural history…). This place feels like a movie theater, as opposed to a cozy bar that just so happens to have a cinema attached to it. Tuschinski is another great option for a first date: put those red velvet loveseat couches they offer as seating to good use!

One of the most exciting things about Amsterdam, at least for a girl like me, is that you can find a cinema for every occasion under the sun. Whether it’s a first date, a solo date, or a date with all of your study abroad friends, the cinema’s in Amsterdam offer a setting for every occasion and every setting.  There are, of course, many more cinemas in Amsterdam than I have covered in this short list, and I challenge anyone to visit them all.