Culture / Entertainment

Dallas’ 10 Best Movie Theaters — From Underrated Film Retreats to a Clear No. 1

Your Guide to the Perfect Movie Night

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A great place to escape the Texas summer heat, or escape reality in any season, is the movies. Dallas boasts tons of luxury, in-theater dining and historical spots to take a break from the sun and catch a film.

From independent art houses to mainstream luxury cinemas, these are the 10 Best Movie Theaters in Dallas.

Updated August 2, 2022

Alamo Drafthouse

1005 S. Lamar Street (Cedars) & 6770 Abrams Road (Lake Highlands)

Anyone who has been to an Alamo Drafthouse already knows that it is the absolute best. There is a hard rule on no talking or texting during films that creates the ultimate movie-watching experience. Food and drinks are served by stealthy servers throughout the film.

Draft beers are available from local Dallas brewers and mostly every dish on the food menu is a winner. Popcorn has unlimited free refills and the company comes up with curated themed menus for the newest films. Movie parties, singalongs, classic showings and more also make this theatre the very best in the city.

VioletCrown4
More than a theater, Violet Crown hosts private events and regularly engages in community involvement.

Violet Crown

3699 McKinney Avenue

Taking over the former Magnolia theatre (which closed during the pandemic) at West Village, this Austin-based brand is renovating the space and will soon open. It’ll be the fourth location for the indie film house, which first debuted in Austin in 2011. It’ll have a full cocktail bar and snacks to munch on during the movie.

The theatre is in a great spot to grab dinner at West Village and then walk over to see a movie.

iPic Fairview

321 Town Plaza, Fairview

A close competitor to Alamo is iPic Theater in Fairview. Although it’s definitely pricier, the luxury, comfy recliner seating can be worth it for a fun date night or family movie night. Premium Plus Seats include full-service food and drink ordering, a pillow, blanket and free popcorn.

There’s less seating than a normal theater, making the experience feel more exclusive. The menu includes three different kinds of sliders, pizzas and entrees that are more upscale and chef-driven. A new Keto menu includes lettuce cups, buttermilk fried chicken, kebabs and keto cocktails.

iPic
iPic Theater offers an upscale movie and dining experience.

Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas

2365 Victory Park Lane

Newer to Dallas’ South Victory neighborhood, Cinépolis comes from Mexico. The theater offers reclining seats and push-button waiter service with gourmet food and cocktails.

The food menu has everything from burgers and sandwiches to tacos and desserts. Speciality cocktails like All Day Rosé, the Magnificent Margarita and Old Fashioned are also available to sip on during films.

Angelika Film Center

5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 230

The Angelika Film Center has a good mix of indie, art and mainstream films. Seating is decently comfy and the Dallas location is in a fun spot at Mockingbird Station.

On top of movies, the theater shows National Theatre Live, concerts and festivals. They also have a ’90s Rewind the first Monday of every month where they show a classic film from the 1990s. Food and drink is your simple popcorn and hotdogs, but the theater offer a good selection of beer, wine and coffee drinks.

LOOK Cinemas

5409 Belt Line Road

Another newish luxury theater experience, LOOK offers all of the newest movies. It’s a dine-in theater with service from IVY Kitchen. You can either chill in the Living Room with sofas, armchairs and recliners, The Lofts for ages 21 and older, Evolution with huge screens, or Look & Dine.

The other restaurant that LOOK features is Coal Vines Pizza and Wine Bar, which you can enjoy before or after a movie. All seats can be reserved ahead of time online.

Texas Theatre

231 W. Jefferson Boulevard

This Dallas landmark has been around since 1931. It gained historical significance on November 22, 1963 when Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested there for the killing of a Dallas police officer.

Located in the Oak Cliff neighborhood, the Texas Theatre is a cool spot to admire the history and see old movies. Starting on July 25, they will be showing Quentin Tarantino’s newest film Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.

Highland Park Village Theatre (Temporarily Closed)

32 Highland Park Village

This theatre was built in 1934 by Karl Hoblitzelle. He wanted to create a luxury suburban theatre that was designed to blend with the center’s Spanish architecture. Highland Park Village Theatre still shows current movies today, as well as offers a private screening room.

There’s a lounge and bar that offers movie snacks and beverages, as well as as Summer Kids Film Fest that’s showing films through August. A $10 admission for this includes one movie ticket and a kid’s tray with popcorn, soda and candy.

Inwood Theatre

5458 W. Lovers Lane

At Inwood Village, Inwood Theatre is a Landmark entity with historical significance. It shows a mix of mainstream, indie and midnight cult films in an art deco atmosphere. The theatre opened in 1947 with Red Skeleton’s The Show Off.

After a fire in 1980, Landmark Theatres bought and restored the property in 1984. The Inwood Lounge boasts a martini bar and the first floor of the theater has comfy couches for seating.

Moviehouse & Eatery by Cinépolis

8450 State Highway 121, McKinney

Another twist on the new dinner and a movie experience, this McKinney movie theater features 10 screens with plush recliners. There’s also a lounge that offers hand-crafted cocktails before or after the movie.

Scratch-made meals include Three Cheese Mac, Fried Lollipop Chicken and poke bowls. For dessert, there are milkshakes, cheesecake, cookies and bread pudding french toast. The Movie Mule and Tequila Fresco are a couple of their signature cocktails. Events are also a big deal here and include Free Summer Kids Camp, Western Classics, Christmas Classics and more.

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