6 Best Movie Theater and Projectionist Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 5, 2026

Projectionists and cinemas have inspired films about the magic of movies. Empire of Light has the staff of a seaside English cinema finding connection, Cinema Paradiso remembers a boy’s friendship with a projectionist, and The Majestic has a blacklisted screenwriter mistaken for a war hero. Matinee, The Purple Rose of Cairo and Sherlock Jr. round out the six.

Empire of Light (2022)

TMDB ★ 6.5

The staff of a seaside English cinema find unexpected connection amid personal struggles in the early 1980s.

Directed by Sam Mendes · 1h 55m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Majestic (2001)

TMDB ★ 6.8

An amnesiac blacklisted screenwriter is mistaken for a small town's long-lost war hero.

Directed by Frank Darabont · 2h 33m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Matinee (1993)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A schlock horror filmmaker's new movie premiere electrifies a small town during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Directed by Joe Dante · 1h 39m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 90% Metacritic 80

A filmmaker recalls his childhood friendship with the projectionist at his small Sicilian town's cinema.

Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore · 2h 04m · Rated PG

Won 1 Oscar25 wins & 33 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A movie character steps off the screen and into the life of a lonely woman during the Great Depression.

Directed by Woody Allen · 1h 22m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 87%

A daydreaming projectionist falls asleep and imagines himself solving a mystery inside the film he is showing.

Directed by Buster Keaton · 0h 45m · Rated NR

2 wins

Where to watch

Stream: FlixFling, IndieFlix, Kino Film Collection, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, FilmBox Live Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Movie Theater and Projectionist Movies

Empire of Light (2022)

The Majestic (2001)

Matinee (1993)

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

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