Cineteca Nacional de México — Attraction in Mexico City

I was able to watch a new English movie here (Crimes of the Future). It was in the original English audio with Spanish subtitles. Great experience as a foreign visitor.

Safety: 5/5 I went to a 6:45pm showing since I was worried about walking back to my room in the dark. I worried for nothing. After the movie ended around 8pm, it was indeed dark but there was so much tourist activity and security presence, it didn't matter. There are lots of cars driving down the main roads deep into the night so it feels safe. Other people are watching movies too, so you have safety in public crowds.

Price: 5/5 My ticket cost 60 pesos (3USD) for 1 adult.

Availability: 5/5 Buy tickets ahead of time online for good seats. I got mine the night before and the whole middle section was booked except for a few single seats. Tip: the email confirmation gives you a QR code. As long as you have that, you can enter. Ignore the other instructions about messing with alphanumeric codes etc.

Atmosphere: 5/5 There is a wonderful open park area once you enter off the street. Lots of couples hang out and relax. Saw some picnics too. From there, you turn right and enter a little area with shops, restaurants, and typical therater snacks. From this area, each of showing rooms (salas)...

The Cineteca Nacional is one of the few places in Mexico City that shows world and art cinema now that the private sector has capitulated to the Marvel and friends juggernaut, it is state owned and run and efficient enough although it's a bit tired and could do with some thoughtful reforms, from the seats to the shops and restaurants, the whole thing feels as it is: state owned.

But at MX$30 (a bit more than £1) per screening it is outstanding value for money, one can buy tickets and snacks online, this is recommended to avoid queues in the box office.

All films are in the original language with Spanish subtitles (as is the case in most cinemas anyway, Mexico refraining from the barbarity of dubbing films into the local language, so popular in Europe), there's plenty of open spaces and the brutalist architecture isn't uninteresting.

This is a place worth visiting if one's not too far, driving from Polanco let's say it may take more than an hour, so perhaps this is left only to film nuts...

The best cinema complex in the entire country, with not only a fantastic and extremely well mixed selection of national and international films—with some commercial ones from time to time—but also cool and informative temporary exhibitions, truly affordable prices for everyone, good facilities (even if some of the seats from screens 2 and 3 have seen better days) and a relaxing vibe all around for either lounging in the gardens or at any of the restaurants or cafeterias which range from reasonably price to slightly more expensive depending on your wallet. Of these, I particularly recommend Café 8 1/2—with its Monday-to-Friday menu—and Señorito—the Saratoga club sandwich never disappoints. Add its affordable car park fee and the fact that you can spend an entire day here either alone or with company, and you’ve got yourself one of the truly cultural landmarks of...