Absolutely gutted. That was my first reaction when I heard about Odeon's Bracknell cinema shutting down on June 1st. And I'm not alone – seems like half teh town is mourning what feels like losing an old friend.
I've been taking my kids there since 2016. £7.50 tickets on weekends? Where else can you find that these days?
The Final Countdown
The news hit social media like a ton of bricks. One Facebook post I saw yesterday summed it up perfectly: "Just had an email to say the Odeon in Bracknell is closing on the 1st of June. Goodbye cheap cinema tickets. What other cinemas do people use that don't cost the earth?"
Comments flooded in. "Gutted." "Oh, that's a real shame, I'd always take the kids there." "There go affordable cinema trips for the family."
Listen. I know it's just a cinema, but these places matter. My daughter saw her first Star Wars film there. I spilled an entire large Coke on my lap during Endgame. Memories, you know?
What the hell is happening to our cinemas?
Odeon released one of those corporate statements that tries to sound sympathetic while delivering the bad news: "Following talks with our landlord, we have come to a mutual agreement to close our Bracknell cinema at the end of May this year. Supporting our local cinema team is our number one priority and we will be looking to secure jobs for as many of them as possible at our other cinema locations."
Yeah, right.
I chatted with one of the staff last weekend. Poor guy. He'd been there 4 years and found out about the closure the same day customers did. His response: "Already updating my LinkedIn."
The Domino Effect Nobody Wanted
This isn't just a Bracknell thing. Odeon's been closing cinemas across the UK like they're going out of fashion. Surrey Quays? Gone. Covent Garden? Transformed into some luxury hotel and theatre complex that'll probably charge £30 just to look at the menu.
And Cineworld? They're reportedly planning to shut up to 25 venues. Six are already marked for closure – Glasgow, Bedford, Hinckley, Loughborough, Yate, and Swindon.
I feel like we're watching the slow death of affordable entertainment. My neighbour paid £78 last month to take his family of four to Vue. SEVENTY-EIGHT POUNDS! That's before the small mortgage required for popcorn and drinks.
Streaming killed the cinema star?
The reasons are obvious when you think about it. Energy bills through the roof. Rent increases. Families choosing between heating and eating, let alone a night at the movies. And why bother when you've got Netflix at home for a tenner a month?
The Centre for Retail Research says nearly 10,500 shops closed in 2023 alone. High streets looking like ghost towns at family reunions – awkward, empty, and full of faded memories.
Some of these closures are about expired leases or redevelopment. Others? Just businesses that can't make the numbers work anymore.
So... what now?
For Bracknell locals (myself included), we're scrambling to find alternatives. Someone mentioned Omniplex in Cressex, Wyncombe. Others are looking at Vue in Reading, though my wallet already feels lighter thinking about it.
I'm taking my kids for one last visit this weekend. Overpriced nachos and all. Might even splurge on the large popcorn that costs approximately the same as a small car.
Odeon says they'll try to place staff at other locations. I hope that's true. The guy who always tears our tickets – Mark – has worked there since my daughter was in nappies.
The wider picture? God. It's bleak. Cineworld's trying to renegotiate rents at around 50 locations. If those talks fail... well, you can guess what happens next.
For now, we're all just trying to enjoy one last show before the lights go down for good.
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