Your scandalous stories of trying to sneak into the cinema underage

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Scandalous stories of people trying to sneak into the cinema underage – with not always successful results.

Last week, we ran a story on this very site about a teenager trying to sneak in underage to see Michael Bay’s Bad Boys in the mid-1990s. Obviously it’s a story we wholly disapprove of, and we printed nearly 3000 words of his incredible adventure with copious amounts of tutting.

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We got what could fairly be described as ‘quite a response’ to the story. And one of the offshoots of it was a whole bunch of people telling us their own stories on social media about their attempts to get in to see films that they shouldn’t have been trying to see.

Tut, obvs.

Here are some of our favourites that popped up on our Twitter feed last week. We figure it best to embed the thoughts to give the author’s due credit, even though we run the risk of one of those lovely people changing their Twitter name to ‘Film Stories Suckz’ or something like that. Which would give us something else to tut about.

Here then are the successful stories, the less successful stories, and those stuck somewhere in between…

The successful strategies

My mum sneaking me and my bro into Meet the Fockers at midnight and then making us sit on top of our seats the whole film AS IF that made us look less underage (I was like 6)… this was on a school night after she’d had a fall out with my dad… legend vibes ! https://t.co/BHk7vHoF6Y

— Wunderslut (@rhiaaaaaannon) January 27, 2021

Distinctly remember applying all the makeup I had (which was loads and I looked like a mad clown) and getting into see American Beauty when I was 14.

— Joan Parsons (@joan_parsons) January 27, 2021

Summer ‘84. My schoolmates and I showed up for Temple of Doom @ 10am.The show was 2pm.The manager beckoned us forward, “Do yous want to go in?There’s a film on now.” The movie was Police Academy.I was 13.Hello nudity. God bless the Adelphi. @OldDerekOConnor @IFI_Dub @RTE_Culture https://t.co/VbBlzBMri6 pic.twitter.com/6C889hOazq

— The Projectionist (@Ushabye) January 27, 2021

Went to see Pump up the Volume with my older brother when I was 13 or 14, he went to buy the tickets, but thinking he’d get pay less he said my real age and they sent him away. I went in myself 5 minutes later in a huff and bought both tickets without them raising an eyebrow. https://t.co/SPFsHC4fwR

— Anna Cale (@real_meaning) January 27, 2021

Managed to get into Snakes on a Plane (15) when I’d just turned 13…. my theory was that wearing glasses would make me and my friend look older, so I went to Primark and bought some reading glasses to wear?? It worked though 🤷‍♀️ https://t.co/9W0w1d3Lsc

— Delphi(ne) ✨ (@DelphiLievens) January 27, 2021

Nervously went to the ticket booth, asked for tickets to see The Specialist. I was 12. It was an 18. Guy at the counter laughed at us. So we bought tickets for Stargate instead… and then casually walked straight into the screening room they was playing The Specialist in anyway https://t.co/SCoIazNObX

— Dan Storey (@DapperDan) January 27, 2021

Went with my brother and his friends to see The Matrix Revolutions when I was only 12, 15 rating in the UK. One of his friends was my height so hoped no one ask to see ID. They didn’t, but the guy who sold the tickets asked us to come over wasn’t convinced but let me in anyway. https://t.co/DCOxe6zbKM

— Harry Mabbett (@theharrymabbett) January 27, 2021

Me and two friends snuck into Dredd when we were 14 (so a good four years off)

Bought tickets to Brave and mannaged to find the screen showing Dredd instead

Funnily enough no one questioned why we had brought 3D glasses for the 2D screening of Brave

— Johanna Kirkpatrick 🏳️‍🌈🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏳️‍⚧️ (@jkpatrick42) January 27, 2021

Our biggest theater has a side exit that only opens from the inside, we would always have one friend buy a ticket and then let the rest of us in through the side. This was before assigned seating ruined our lives https://t.co/NEwuEODz6V

— *sigh* temporary bucs fan 😔 (@MarxistSmart) January 27, 2021

My Aunty took me to see Beetlejuice when I was twelve. She put me in one of her leather jackets with big shoulder pads to make me look older. The person in the ticket office just shook their head and said ‘If he has nightmares it’s not on us.’

I did not have nightmares.

— Kevin Lowe ❄️ (@beeblebear) January 27, 2021

The hollow victories

I wore a jacket and tie to see Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth. I had a whole backstory planned, I was 21 and at art school. Turns out the box office staff at the local ABC genuinely couldn’t have cared less. Plus, the film was utter dogshit.

— Marc Smith (@iamnotmiserable) January 27, 2021

I remember being really really proud of myself for sneaking in to see Event Horizon – until the movie started and i’d actually snuck into the wrong movie ( Free Willy 3 ) so had to sit through that rubbish!

— D James (@DJames29803828) January 27, 2021

Snuck into Kick-Ass 2 when I was 15, had no troubles, was super obvious. Same theater, half a year or so later, got stopped and escorted out trying to see The Grand Budapest Hotel. https://t.co/n2CZzS0SUQ

— Davey Peppers (@DaveyPeppers) January 27, 2021

The approaches that didn’t quite work…

Brought back a memory of me aged 14 and a half. Dad took me to see Troy (certificate 15). Got to the kiosk, dad said “2 for Troy please”. The server asked “how old is he?”. Dad replied with all the confidence in the world “he’s 14 and a half”. I didn’t see Troy that day. https://t.co/6cCNg9ANG1

— Matt Quinn (@MattQuinnMusic) January 27, 2021

13 year old me wanted to see The Matrix Revolutions (15) so I purchased a ticket for Finding Nemo and sneaked into the screen.

The usher followed me and quickly escorted me back to Finding Nemo. In hindsight he was doing me a favour!

— Darren V (@TheDarrenV) January 27, 2021

Having watched Lethal Weapon much too young, 10-year-old Mark and his friend were turned away from the newest Mel Gibson thriller… What Women Want.
Cinema staff – “It’s not even that you’re not 12, I just don’t know what you think you’re going to get out of it.”

— Mark Harrison (@MHarrison90) January 27, 2021

Attempting to see Mars Attacks with family, my Mum had been briefed repeatedly in the car that my little brother is 12, not 11, 12!! Asked by cinema staff she still said 11!! To this day I’m convinced Mum just didn’t fancy the movie.

— It’s an Indie Book Blog (@ThatMattKeyes) January 27, 2021

We queued up (underage) for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. We all added 2 years to our birthdates and practiced saying them over and over and over again in case we were questioned. Then our 6 ft 4 mate at the front of our group asked for “one child, please”.

— Agatiefan (@AgaTieFan) January 27, 2021

When I was 14 I went with some mates to see the 15 age-rated Scary Movie 3. They were all old enough but I was about 4 months too young. Ticket guy asked my age, I shakily said 15. He asked my DoB and I stupidly gave MY ACTUAL ONE. They laughed: “come on pal, help me out here” https://t.co/8qpwEvSdE2

— Ross Miller (@rosstmiller) January 27, 2021

I went to see Judge Dredd (1995) when I was 14. I even asked for a ‘half ticket’ because I was under age for the certificate 15 movie…

— Tom 💙 (@mr_sauce) January 27, 2021

Keep these scandalous stories coming. Please know we disapprove of them all etc.