To be honest I was first attracted to this theatre by its modern, magestic architectural design of…read moreits building front.
After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at their Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants, businesses, and entertainment venues, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Westlake Cinema, located in Hardy, Virginia is a perfect example.
Located in the right corner of the Westlake Town Center, Westlake Cinema is a four-plex movie theater featuring a total of four theater screens with varying seating capacity, all located on a ground floor. Two screens hold 128 seats each and two other hold 174 seats each, to give the venue a total of 604 seats. The theater features first-run movies, stadium seating in comfortable reclining seats, Dolby Digital Surround Sound, RealD 3D, optional hearing assistance headphones, free Wi-Fi, and a full service concession stand. I invite you to view my photographs and videos accompanying this review to get a better sense of the inside of the theater and its amenities.
Previously having viewed its website and taken advantage of purchasing my ticket online for their Wed, June 10, 2026, 3:45PM showing of Masters of the Universe, I had received an email with a QR Code to conveniently check in after arriving to the theater. I figure I would arrive early to watch the previews, but when it was 3:29PM and the theater doors were still closed with no one to be seen, I began to be concerned, got out my cellphone and gave the theater a call. No one answered the call but almost right after the 7th ring I heard someone opening the theater's doors. Later I found out that their doors open at 3:30PM, only 15 minutes before the start of the movie and that the movie time is actually the time the previews start. That doesn't give guests much time to purchase snacks at the concession stand. Maybe that is why they have it that you can purchase these online as well and by showing the QR Code, they will only have to deliver the items.
Like in many theaters now-a-days, the box office is obsolete. Your are directed to purchase your tickets at the concession stand. When I arrived there, four people were behind the counter: a young lady cashier, two young gentleman, and and a friendly older lady. All of them were eager to be of service and once other customers began to arrive and order, they all went to work, were very efficient, and even began to smile. I was still full from having had lunch at Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Grill, but had them scan my QR Code ticket and stayed close by observing how they handled the other few customers. They did a great job, working as a team, and you could tell they also enjoyed doing it.
The screening room was modern and very clean, with nice lighting that made it very easy to walk to your chosen seat. The reclining seats were very comfortable, and the air-condition temperature was just right and very soothing. The screen view and the sound were perfect. Used to going to large cities movie theaters this was a unique, soothing, and wonderful movie theater experience, and I highly recommend the place. This community should be proud of having a theater like this one, run by such a nice group of individuals who work great as a team.
