the 20 best gifts for movie lovers

Contrary to what HBO, Netflix and Hulu might have you believe, blockbuster movies are still alive and thriving. In fact, some of the highest-grossing movies of all time debuted in the past two years, including The Lion King ($1.6 billion) and Black Panther ($1.35 billion), just to name a couple. But you already know this if you’ve got a friend or family member who’s film crazy. To celebrate them this year, why not surprise them with one of these amazing items from our list of the best gifts for movie lovers?

Best Gifts for People Who Love the Theater

As much as we love staying home in our jammies, nothing quite compares to the magic of the movie theater. If your recipient lives for the whole thing, from the ticketing counter (oh, who are we kidding, the kiosk) to the concession stand to the comfy theater chairs, then these are the gifts for them.

1. A Subscription for Movie Theater Tickets: Forget buying individual tickets. Now you can buy a theater subscription that lets you see as many movies as you want in a month for a single flat fee. Sadly, the leader in this realm, MoviePass, shut down in September, but there are some good alternatives to fill the void from major theater brands like AMC, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas.

2. A Gift Card to the Movie Theater: Prefer to do things the old-fashioned way? Your theater-going pals may, too. And you really can’t go wrong with a gift card to their preferred theater. Try to calculate the cost of a movie plus his or her favorite snacks so you cover everything: the film, the popcorn and at least one of those gigantic sodas.

3. A Pair of Movie-Themed Socks: You didn’t think we were going to forget about our fantastic movie socks, did ya? Socks in general are always big winners in the gifting department because everybody loves them, they don’t require any complex sizing, and they come in thousands of fun styles to suit your recipient’s personality and favorite flicks or genre. Check out our men’s movie socks and women’s movie socks to find fun styles featuring lots of fun themes.

4. An Offer to Babysit: This one’s exclusively for the movie fanatics out there who have little ones who’ve got a long way to go before they can sit through R-rated new releases. An offer to babysit while your bud goes to the movies is something he or she will cherish for a lifetime. It’s also a great option for gifting on a budget!

5. A Film Projector: Even diehard theater-goers can’t see every single title in the theater, but — with the help of a friend like you! — they can emulate the theater experience at home. You can get home cinema projectors for basically any budget these days, from 70 bucks to several thousand. Some setups even come with speakers and the screen so you get everything you need to plug and watch.

Best Gifts for People Who Love to Binge at Home

These days, most of us are more into Netflix and chill than the hassle of getting dressed and going to the movies. And why not? We’ve got pretty much everything we could ever want at our fingertips, minus the reclining chairs and *actual* movie theater popcorn. Here are the gifts to get your buddies who live to binge watch.

6. A Subscription to a Streaming Service: OK, there’s a pretty good chance that the movie buff in your life already has a subscription to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and all the basics, but has he or she signed up for Disney+ yet? The service is only $70 a year, and with a ton of classics from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, National Geographic and Lucasfilm, it’s well worth it. You could also give a sub to The Criterion Channel ($100 a year) or IFC Films ($6 a month).

7. A Theater-Style Popcorn Machine: Movies and popcorn go together like Woody and Buzz or Jay and Silent Bob, and even at-home movie junkies know that it’s definitively the best movie snack ever. Why not go big on your gift this year and surprise your recipient with a popcorn machine that makes the stuff taste just like the kind from the concession stand? Throw in some movie theater butter (which, by the way, has no actual butter in it) for good measure.

8. A Pair of Lounge-Worthy Socks: What better way to encourage a relaxing movie night than with some comfy and funny socks? If you really want to go warm and cozy, then a pair of wool or cashmere socks is in order. Just make sure you take the time to pick a pattern or theme that suits their personality, even if they love to take naps or are self-described introverts.

9. A High-Tech Surround-Sound System: Big-time movie buffs know that a good sound system can make or break a feature film, so this is a pretty solid present for any cinephile on your list, especially those you want to spoil. A pro tip for any movie lover’s friend: Help your buddy build a theater room of their dreams and get invited over for some next-level home viewing.

10. A Movie Night Subscription Box: If you’re looking for a gift that keeps on giving well into the new year, consider giving your film-loving friend a movie-themed subscription box to send them lots of cinematic goodies automatically each month. There are sub boxes for all kinds of cinephiles, including lovers of horror films, kids’ movies and even art films.

Best Gifts for Franchise Fanatics

Whether your recipient is majorly into Marvel or would crush everyone in your friend group at Harry Potter trivia, you’re in luck! Anyone who’s super into a certain franchise is automatically an easy gift recipient because there are so many delightful things you can choose that you know will have them gushing.

11. A Pair of Star Wars Socks: We all have at least one friend who knows everything there is to know about Star Wars, and bless them for helping us crush Tuesday night bar trivia. Surprise them with a functional tribute to the galaxy with a pair of Star Wars socks featuring Darth Vader, Chewbacca and the whole crew.

12. A Pair of Harry Potter Socks: Any Hogwarts enthusiast would pretty much jump with joy if they got a pair of Harry Potter socks for their birthday or Christmas. These make a magical gift idea since they can be worn often and come in tons of amazing options to honor all facets of the franchise, from Ron Weasley’s iconic sweater to Gryffindor as a whole.

13. A Complete Box Set: Check to see if your recipient already has the complete box set of the franchise in his or her preferred format (Blu-Ray, 4K, etc.). You could also give the gift of a special edition box set. For example, you can get a special Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection that comes with 31 discs plus some limited-edition collectibles. It’s going for a cool $800 on eBay, though, so start saving!

14. A Franchise-Themed Monopoly: If you’re a fan of it, there’s probably an edition of Monopoly in its honor. In fact, the Star Wars franchise has eight official versions of the board game, while there are Disney editions for days. This is the perfect gift for the movie lover on your list who also loves a good game night.

15. A Star Wars Death Star Toaster: We love Star Wars. Can you tell? And we love Williams-Sonoma even more right now for giving us the Death Star Toaster that turns your kitchen into a celestial space station equipped with the ultimate weapon: the ability to make perfectly warm, perfectly crisp toast every time.

Best Gifts for Lovers of the Classics

If you’ve got a pal who’s really into spreading the joy of the classics, then we’ve got a bunch of amazing gift ideas for you. These presents take inspiration from all the biggest cinematic hits of the last century, so they’re sure to delight and spark debate among your film major pals.

16. A Top Movies Scratch-Off Poster: This brilliant scratch-off poster lets classics fanatics keep track of the blockbuster and cult films they’ve seen. Once you watch one of the flicks — say, A Clockwork Orange or Inception — then you just scratch it off with a coin, kinda like a lottery ticket, to reveal a graphic from the film. Pretty cool, right? And it’s only $17 on Amazon!

17. The Cinephile Card Game: This fun party game features 150 cards categorized into three categories: Movie Geek (Easy), Film Nerd (Intermediate) and Cinephile (Expert), so it’s perfect for your favorite film fanatic plus all of his less-informed friends. It has been called “the Criterion Collection of card games,” so yeah, you can go ahead and count this one as a win even before you play it.

18. A Copy of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: First published in 2003, this 1,000-page book canonizes over 1,000 of the best movies in history, according to over 70 film critics. The recommendations, which are given chronologically, range from the 1902 classic A Trip to the Moon to 2018’s Black Panther. This one’s super fun to flip through!

19. A Copy of Eat What You Watch: If you’ve ever felt your tummy rumbling at the sight of an on-scene dinner, this book is for you. Billed as “a cookbook for movie lovers,” this clever page-turner features dishes from your favorite flicks. It tells you how to make lots of classics, like the double-decker New York pizza from Saturday Night Fever, the bourbon French toast sticks from Kramer Vs. Kramer and yes, even the notorious pastrami from When Harry Met Sally.

20. Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection: This is the gift for the horror or classics fan on your list who adores the Master of Suspense. The 17-disc box set includes 15 iconic films from the director’s noteworthy career, including Psycho, Rear Window, The Birds, North by Northwest, Vertigo and more. It also comes with over a dozen hours of bonus content to provide newbies and buffs with the ultimate Hitchcock experience. We’re so down!

The Perfect Gifts for Everyone on Your List

If you’ve got a friend or family member who’s crazy for the silver screen, you’re already set up for success in the gifting department! Throw in some of their favorite movie snacks and a pack of popcorn or two and you’ve got yourself an incredible present that’s guaranteed to elicit a smile.

Need some more movie gift ideas? Make sure to browse our incredible selection of movie socks to find a pair that gets your reels spinning. Happy gifting!