Seeing a movie at The Clairidge in Montclair is a unique experience. It's an independent six-screen…read moreart-house theater that's been operated since 2021 by the non-profit Montclair Film, an organization that champions indie filmmakers and hosts the reknown Montclair Film Festival every October and educational events for both kids and adults throughout the year. In addition to presenting indie films, foreign films, or thought-provoking documentaries that you won't usually find at corporate-owned theaters, the Clairidge's theater auditoriums are smaller and more intimate than you'd find in the big, corporate-owned theaters and only one of the six auditoriums have the fully-reclining seats that have become the industry standard. On the other hand, the concessions go way above and beyond the classic movie theater snacks like popcorn, candy, and sodas which enhances the unique viewing experience. The Clairidge's concessions stand offers beer, wine, and canned cocktails - including the "Director's Cut Blood Orange IPA" created by New Jersey Beer Co. exclusively for Montclair Film. There's nothing better than catching a movie with a drink in hand. It's the perfect blend of a high-brow film experience and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere that makes for a sophisticated night out while supporting a non-profit that gives so much back to the Montclair community. PRO TIP #1: Show up early to get a good seat. The Clairidge doesn't offer reserved seating and its smaller auditoriums fill up quickly. PRO TIP #2: Download the ParkMobile app. You can pay for parking in Montclair via the ParkMobile app whether you park in the town's garages or metered on-street parking. If you can't find a spot on the street, parking in the Montclair Parking Utility's Crescent Deck (located at 13 The Crescent), which is located just a block from the back entrance of The Clairidge, is $2/hour.

Great theater to watch a movie. The price is right and the concessions are very reasonable as well…read more They do have memberships available with extras that come with that as well

Great Clean nice seats perfect temps…read more A little expensive but it is what it is I will definitely go back

For opening night I went to see scream 7 with my coworker. Disclaimer I'm a real scream fan not the…read moreone that only watches something because it's new and hyped. On to the review. I want to say I'm doing I recently visited this AMC location and overall had a mixed experience. First, I want to highlight the staff. Everyone I interacted with was friendly, helpful, and attentive. They were professional and genuinely seemed to enjoy what they were doing, which made a great first impression. The theater itself has a cool vibe, and the seats are very comfortable. However, the reclining felt slightly off and not fully proportional when leaning back. Another thing that stood out was the food tray setup. When the seat was reclined, the tray felt awkwardly positioned and not very accessible. Once the lights went off, the theater became extremely dark, to the point where you could not see your food at all. Many people had to use their phone flashlights just to find their snacks. The biggest disappointment for me was the food options. If I had known in advance, I likely would have chosen a different AMC location. The menu felt more like an Applebee's-style dine-in setup rather than a traditional movie theater concession stand. Many classic AMC staples were not available. For example, they did not have regular nachos, only loaded nachos. When I asked if I could just get plain nachos, I was told I would have to order the loaded version and remove the toppings myself, for the same price. That was frustrating. I also tried the buffalo wings and fries, and unfortunately they tasted low quality and underwhelming. Lastly, the entrance to the theater was confusing. It took me about five extra minutes just to figure out where to go. The staff and seating comfort were definite positives, but the food options and layout could use improvement.

Decided to go to the movies randomly. This location has the most options for showtimes of the same…read moremovie, which was great. I was able to buy my ticket and pick my seat online. Once I arrived there was a large parking lot with ample parking. I was able to have the theatre attendant scan the QR code on my phone and walk in with no issue. There is a small arcade. The popcorn and water are expensive, as usual. The concession stand was dirty and greasy with butter. The theatre was clean. The seats were comfortable. The Beyoncé movie could be heard as we watched The Color Purple. Overall a good experience

Honestly if it was t for the fact I have a love affair with the Toy Story franchise I wouldn't be…read morepaying $80 for three tickets to this theater. I was quite excited to qualify now for a senior ticket and save $2. But I really don't know why people go to the movies anymore unless they are dying to see a particular movie in the theater. We have done standard tickets for $14 in Wayne. We came here and Dolby is $24 a ticket. It's crazy. To be honest do you really need amazing surround sound for that movie? It's honestly not worth it. Go to an AMC with standard ticket prices. See the movie. You won't miss the premium sound. Unless it's a concert movie or an epic like Star Wars, you're good. Skip this place.

First of all, I am only giving this place 2 stars because it's only $5. Beyond that, it is scary…read more We walked in to the pitch black (15 minutes before the movie started) and used our phones to find seats. We went through multiple seats to find two next to each other that weren't broken or wet. Someone finally went to tell them that the lights were off and they finally turned them on. We were better off having the lights off because wooooow. It's scary. FYI commercials (not previews) start at the scheduled time. Our 9:30 pm movie actually started after commercials and previews at 10pm.

I wanted to check out this independent movie theater in Clifton New Jersey. Upon entering I saw…read morethat they didn't have any popcorn drinks or any good snacks . The theater had a pretty strange funky odor. The seats in the screening room that I went to were not in very good shape. The screen also had some strange stuff on it making it an unpleasant movie experience. The staff were barely friendly. Looks like they really don't care about the Theatre and they're not up keeping it well at all. This is very unfortunate but I have to recommend not going here visit another multiplex area or another independent theater

I was here last weekend to view The Beekeeper. The stadium theater itself is fine - obviously they…read morehave stadium style seating. A big plus for me. It was a nice sized theater although my companion who was seeing a separate film at the same time had his theater changed on him without notice and it was into a much smaller room, so staff ended up handing out free ticket comps to patrons in that theater. The front desk was not in use. Instead, a sign was placed directing your to place your ticket orders at the concession stand. As it was early, not much was started and honestly, it was a bit bare. The fountain machines were not working. I will say however that they fried up some hot, delicious chicken wings. It was better than I ever expected and it was fresh. Bathrooms were clean as the theater had just opened. Staff was nice enough. I would bring my family here for an early show to avoid having to hike it over to AMC Jersey Gardens. It's not my first choice, but it would do because of how easy it is to get here.

The best thing about this theater is the popcorn. I just recently went there to watch the…read moreSpider-Man movie with my kids and it felt like they had the air conditioner on 30° in the theater. I went again this past Sunday and I'm not sure how they F***** this up, but the was no music playing in the movie, all we could hear was them talking. I got up twice during the movie to tell them there was no music and of course they did nothing about it.

A quaint and well-kept suburban cinema. They have also had a recent renovation and now Caldwell…read moreCinemas has reclining seats. The theaters are definitely on the small side. This Cinema tends to run Hollywood first run movies, which is nice contrast to the Indie-heavy Clairidge Cinema a few miles down the same Avenue. Perhaps not a destination, but certainly a nice place to catch a movie if you're in the area.

Really nicely redone theater post renovation. The outside still retains the look and feel of a…read more1960s classic movie theater, but the inside is totally modern, including reclining seats. They offer booster seats for young children, which is more less needed as the seating isn't super sloped... it's semi stadium seating. Book your seats in advance online... the reserved seating is great for planned outings, but no so much for a spur of the moment movie.

Originally opened on 5/13/1922. The debut feature was D.W. Griffith's silent film "Orphans of the…read moreStorm". The theatre had a 95 year run til 2017. The Historic Bellevue was this year's venue for the Montclair Film Festival from 10/17- 10/26. This three screened theater has recently reopened to full operation. On 10/31/25, we came to see "Blue Moon" starring Ethan Hawke. (Bravo to a stellar performance by Mr. Hawke). The theatre was very clean. Seating appears to be new, but was uncomfortable . It was advertised as reclining, but that wasn't the case. A small concession stand is located in the theatre. Street and municipal lot parking is available. Just be sure, you have enough time available for your metered spot. There's always a roving parking attendant. I'm not sure if this theatre will be able to compete with the full service larger theatres. However, I think a lot of older neighborhood people will enjoy coming back here.

Lovely movie theatre in the heart of Monclair. It's a small theatre, but clean and simple. I like…read morethe comfortable seats. I decided to go there because the movie I was looking for wasn't playing anywhere else. Popcorn was decent as well. The service was excellent. I would return if another hard-to-find film was playing in this theatre. No complaints here.