You would have to be blind to live in Nairobi (please excuse my political incorrectness) and not notice the rising phenomenon that is Nu Metro, both the cinemas and mediastores. I say phenomenon because from having five cinemas to go to in Nairobi, that number has now doubled, with Nu Metro playing a big role in that development. Usually located in big shopping complexes, Nu Metro has brought theaters to areas that are convenient to moviegoers, i.e., places where they normally go to shop and partake in other forms of recreation.

I enjoy going to the movies. My favorite cinemas used to be 20^th Century Fox (downtown) and the Fox cinema at Sarit. Today, I rarely go to either of these two cinemas and instead go to the Nu Metro cinemas at The Village Market, The Junction, and Prestige Plaza. I do this, not so much because I am flaky and just like whatever’s new, but because Nu Metro cinemas have gone a long way to making going to the movies a real treat. From the decor to the comfort of the cinema halls, a movie at a Nu Metro cinema is a pleasure in all ways but one – cost.

Have you noticed how expensive movies at Nu Metro have become? I first realized this when I went to watch a movie at The Village Market two years ago and got returned chump change after buying 2 tickets with a Ksh.1000 note. The cost of a movie ticket then was Ksh.330. Two months ago, I went to watch Hannibal Rising at The Junction on a Sunday night and found that the ticket price was an astounding Ksh.470. That’s almost Ksh.500! Moreover, that’s before snacks and drinks!

Still, I am not going to boycott Nu Metro cinemas because of price. However, high pricing sure reduces the frequency with which I go to watch movies there. A friend of mine and I have now resolved to watch movies exclusively on Monday nights. With a promotion called “Monday Madness ”, you can purchase a movie ticket, a cold drink, a hot dog or chocolate bar, and a box of popcorn all at the price of a regular movie ticket. That’s a bit of a better buy. Still, for me who normally doesn’t buy snacks and drinks at the movies, I wish I could just purchase an inexpensive ticket.

What do you think? Are the prices of movies increasing ridiculously fast? What do you think would be a fair price for movie tickets?

Image Credit: Anthony Omuya, Daily Nation

I would still like to commend Nu Metro cinemas for the great job they are doing with bringing cinemas closer to us, the moviegoers, and for making movie watching a truly enjoyable experience. I would like to request that they review their ticket prices, though,  so that the experience can remain affordable.

What are your favorite movie theaters? Have you jumped onto the Nu Metro cinema bandwagon or has the arrival of the Nu Metro movie theaters left you unmoved? I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Biche

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