While going to the cinema is a simple luxury that’s on pause while coronavirus lockdown measures stretch on, it doesn’t mean you can’t recreate the magical feeling of going to the pictures in your home.
While we’re fairly certain you don’t have a projector at home - nor 30ft tall screen, come to think of it - a comfy couch and widescreen telly will do the job just as well; and thanks to the pause button there’s no need to miss any of the action if nature calls or you need a tea break.
But best of all? You won’t have to spend a small fortune on eye-wateringly expensive cinema snacks.
The great thing about movie night at home is that it means you can tailor your selection to your tastes, and be as sinful or saintly as you wish: think sweet and salted popcorn, fun size chocolates, gourmet crisps, dried fruit or even an Everyman-style gourmet meal, complete with snacks to devour with a glass of crisp Chardonnay.
See our favourites below
Best drinks for movie night
SodaStream Spirit Classic
Good for making so much more than sparkling water, a SodaStream is your gateway to drinks galore. Add on sparkling drink mix flavours include Orange Mango, Lemon Lime, Cream Soda, Classic Lemonade and Classic Cola. One bottle of mix can make up to nine litres of drink, making a SodaStream not only a fabulous movie night essential and eco-friendly option, but a superb investment for future parties, BBQs and get-togethers too.
You can also shop SodaStream at John Lewis
Sipsmith Gin And Tonic 250ml
Who has the time to mix cocktails when you’re in the middle of the latest Hollywood blockbuster? Stock your fridge with Sipsmith’s tins of perfectly mixed G&Ts for quick quenching during the quiet bits.
Fentimans Rose Lemonade 275ml
A refreshing drink to enjoy on its own and even better as a gin mixer, this delicious floral lemonade will ruin all other versions for you - it really is that good.
Best popcorn for movie night
Metcalfe’s Skinny Popcorn
Big flavour for the big screen, Metcalfe’s skinny popcorn selection offers an authentic movie-going experience - with none of the calories cinema popcorn is infamous for. This multipack of mixed sweet and salted allows you to portion control if you’re in a solo or smaller household, or dish out popcorn fairly to kids if you’ve got little ones to keep happy.
Joe & Seph's Gourmet Popcorn Tasting Selection, 5 Pack
Giving popcorn a gourmet twist with flavours such as Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter, Caramel & Belgian Chocolate, Toffee Apple & Cinnamon and Goats Cheese & Black Pepper, Joe & Seph’s selection pack is your movie night must-have.
Popcorn Shed - Gourmet Popcorn Cheese Box Selection
If you’re not one for sweet or salted popcorn, Popcorn Shed is here to bring a new dimension to your popcorn game. Doused in delicious cheesy flavourings, this pair of 55g packs combine the bold flavours of a cheeseboard with the easy snackability of popcorn.
Best crisps for movie night
Howdah Snacks Bombay Mix
Fancy a change from popcorn? Howdah’s delightful Bombay Mix is a jumble of roasted peanuts and lentils coated in a moreish masala mix that’s nigh on impossible to stop nibbling. The share bag is big enough to split between your cinema companion - if you can bear to that is.
Cartwright & Butler Wafers for Cheese with Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Perfect for classic films or perhaps a streamed National Theatre production, step your snack game up a notch with these slender crackers. Speckled with salt and pepper, they’ll make the ideal vehicle for your cheeseboard, whether you’re tucking into soft or hard dairy treasures.
Shop all Cartwright & Butler at Harvey Nichols
Holy Moly Guacamole Jalapeno & Red Pepper
Want effortless snacking? It doesn't get much easier than Holy Moly's Guacamole, which come in original and jalapeno and red pepper flavour. Scoop them in with tortilla chips for the movie and use any leftovers on eggs and toast in the morning.
Best ice cream for movie night
Ben And Jerry's Netflix & Chilld Ice Cream 465ml
Returning Netflix and Chill back to a more innocent meaning, Ben & Jerry’s latest flavour has been made in collaboration with the content streaming giant. It’s a compilation of delicious flavours; think peanut Butter swirled into dairy ice cream, the whole lot studded with sweet and salty pretzel pieces and brownie pieces.
Halo Top Birthday Cake Ice Cream 473ml
If you’ve always viewed low cal ice cream from a position of mistrust, Halo Top is about to turn all your perceptions on their head. It tastes so gloriously decadent, in blind taste tests we’d never have guessed at the positively saintly calorie count - 320 for the whole tub. There are a few flavours to choose from, but Birthday Cake - just-baked vanilla flavour complete with sprinkles - is by a country mile the best.
Oppo Double Salted Caramel Ice Cream
In lockdown, every night is a potential movie night. If you’re worried about the calories piling on, there are alternatives to full fat popcorn - especially if you have a sweet tooth. Satisfy your ice cream cravings with Oppo’s range; they taste so good you wouldn’t guess it wasn’t the real thing. And the 178 calories on the front of the tub isn’t per scoop - it’s for a half tub. What’s not to love?
Best sweets for movie night
Vegan Chocolate Pralines
Take your confections up a gear with Selfridges' Selection of chocolate pralines, all vegan-friendly. They’re helpfully split into small, bite-size pieces so you can indulge as much or as little as you want to.
Candy Kittens sweets
While Haribo will always have a place in our hearts (not to mention our kitchen cupboards), Candy Kittens come a close second. The sweet-shop selection has something for everyone: think - and what’s more, it’s all vegan too! Founded by Made in Chelsea star Jamie Liang, Amazon currently sells bags, jars and even a gift hamper filled with an assortment of bestsellers. Get your fill on the link below.
Shop all Candy Kittens at Selfridges
Tony's Chocolonely Small Fairtrade Chocolate Bars Mixed Pack
Gourmet chocolate from a brand whose mission statement is to abolish slavery, it doesn’t get more saintly than Dutch chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely. Flavours are offbeat: think white chocolate with freeze dried raspberries and popping candy, but if you’ve never tried them before this selection pack offers a good introduction. You’ll get an assortment of four bars, each roughly the size of a Yorkie to enjoy for your next movie marathon.
Best snacks with bite for movie night
Heck 6 97% Pork Sausages
If you’re looking for something more substantial from a cinema snack, the options climb to nachos and hot dogs. Heck’s sausages make seriously good hot dogs - these are made from 97 per cent pork making them juicy and full of flavour. Sizzle the pack of six on the grill, in the oven or on a pan.
Blue Dragon Korean BBQ Street Food Skewer Kit 141g
While this requires a little prep, the juice is worth the squeeze. Containing everything you need to make juicy Korean BBQ skewers at home (bar the beef) this Blue Dragon kit brings together a hot plate of snacks quickly and easily.
Jack Link's Beef Jerky Original 70g
Love jerky? Then you’ll love chomping down on Jack Links’ beef jerky, made with 100 per cent lean beef. The 70g packs offer a filling protein boost that’s perfect for powering you through night-long 007 marathons.
Verdict
With a variety of flavouring options, the SodaStream offers freshly made fizzy drinks on tap. If you're trying to cut back on single-use plastics from buying sparkling water and other carbonated drinks, this cool gadget will prove a wise and worthy investment.
