Cineplex Cinemas Ancaster — Local services in Hamilton

I attended the 7:10PM show for The Black Phone 2 today (Saturday October 18, 2025)

Shortly after the movie started there were several sections of kids in the theatre yelling, mostly the full back row and the second last row on the right side when walking into the auditorium. Kids in the back row on the left side of the theatre continued laughing and talking. After a bit, a woman told the boys to "be quiet, we paid to see the movie". The laughing, yelling, and talking continued to the point where I could not hear the movie. I got up and reported both groups of kids to the staff outside the auditorium. 3 staff came in and only talked to the right side but not the left. Kids at the very top row on the left side yelling “6 7” throughout the movie, which caused other kids to start talking and laughing. Kids in the back right side were taking videos with the flash on and you could see the flash on the screen. 2 kids in row H in the middle began waving their hands in front of the projector. Kids in the very back right row continued laughing and yelling. I told the kids “shhh” and they told me to "shut up". Shortly after, a woman again told them to be quiet and asked if that was their dad a few rows below and if she should go get their dad since they won't be quiet. They quieted down, but continued to talk among each other. After the movie ended, I spoke to the manager. I stated that I had already tried reporting it once, but kids were yelling, kids were taking videos with flash on and kids were waving hands in front of the projector and that another woman also had to tell kids to be quiet. The manager said he already talked to her. I asked for a refund or a voucher considering I couldn’t hear half the movie and had to miss part of it to get staff into the auditorium. (Security was standing in the front of the auditorium when I went to report the kids the first instance, and he was standing there playing on his phone while kids were yelling). The manager very rudely said no I’m not giving you a refund, that’s just the type of movie it is. I said the type of movie where kids are allowed to yell and take videos with the flash on? Manager said we try our best to manage it but that’s the kind of movie it is. Manger said he had other staff checking in the theatre and they must've missed them yelling. I stated I have been coming to this theatre for more than 20 years as I live in the area and this was one of the worst movie experiences I’ve ever had. Manager just kind of shrugged his shoulders and said but I’m not giving you a refund for it. I stated so this theatre let’s people take videos with flash on during a movie because that is the type of movie it is? I said ok I will write a google review stating that your response to kids yelling, waving their hands in front of the projector and taking videos with the flash on, is that it happens during these kinds of movies. As soon as I said that he said “that’s not what I said”. And I said you just said that, and walked away. Not once did he apologize for the horrible experience, even after he acknowledged other people complained as well. Seemed very disinterested in making the situation right for someone who has been to this theatre for decades. I essentially paid $16 for a ticket and $15 on food to be at a kids playground while a movie played in...

Absolutely disappointed in today’s ‘Stars and Strollers’ event. This is now my third time attending Stars and Strollers at Ancaster Cineplex. My first experience roughly two months ago was wonderful. The volume in the theatre was low but I easily heard all the dialogue in the movie. The overhead lights as well as the side wall sconces were lit and I could easily see my baby as well as the entire film.

However last week I attended Ant-man in The Wasp and the theatre was dark (only wall sconces on, like a typical movie viewing) and the volume was way too loud. I complained to management, but nothing was done. I stayed. I should have demanded my money back as I did today.

This afternoon’s showing of The Spy Who Dumped Me was quite busy with many moms and babies as well as a few solo movie goers and a few elderly couples. The previews began and the lights were all on his people were seating themselves. The previews were easily seen with all the lights on. As the previews came to an end many of the moms chatted but the change table for the babies had not been brought in. Finally one of the moms went to request the change table and it was brought in within a few minutes. However when the movie started the volume was way too loud and the lights overhead turned off, making the theatre extremely dark. Being that I was very close to the exit I went out leaving my baby with one of the other moms to request that the volume be turned down and the lights back on. I simply asked the attendant who was ripping tickets at the front to ask a manager to adjust both the volume and the lights in theatre nine we’re all babies were. After a few minutes nothing had changes and I went back out to ask the ticket ripper if he had contacted the manager and he had confirmed he did. At that point, I asked to speak with him myself. While he waited for the manager I popped back into the theatre to check on my baby and I asked the entire viewing audience if anyone mind of the lights being on and many people yelled no. I walked back out at the theatre to speak with the manager and he plainly told me there was nothing that he could do. He said that there were people in attendance that were not there for Stars and Strollers, so the lights needed to be down. Then he told me that they have a different system than other theatres, so turning the lights up wouldn’t allow us to see the screen correctly. The reasons that the manager gave me contradict themselves because he first says that he can’t and then that he won’t so things just don’t add up. As I previously said I have been to the same theatre with the lights up in the volume down and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The manager never even entered the theatre to see how many moms were struggling to see their babies or to ask the audience as I had suggested and done myself without the manager present so I get the impression the management team does not care at all about the Stars and Strollers program or their customers. This time, myself and others requested refunds and left the cinema. I highly recommend movie goers to attend this program at other theatres like Burlington that are true to their word and honour the promises laid out to moms and babies who only expect only what the theatre has told them their...

We just had an extremely upsetting experience at the Ancaster theatre. We went to see the 6:30 regular showing of 'Yesterday.' I think there were about 25 people in the theatre. At about 8:15ish the power went out. No biggie as we know that is beyond anyone's control. I believe it stayed out for about 5 minutes, during which time some staff members announced they were trying to solve the matter and are sorry for any inconvenience. They were very friendly. Our fellow theatre goers were making a few jokes since in the film the power went out also and we all had some laughs. We had NO intention of asking for free passes because of this until the movie came back on but had not been rewound far enough. All of a sudden two characters came on the screen that no one knew and a pivotal moment happened where the rest of the film didn't make clear sense. People started joking out loud "Ummm, who are these two?". I think there was about 10-15 minutes left of the movie. When the movie was over we asked to see the manager. When the managers met us, we told them how the movie wasn't rewound far enough and we missed a pivotal moment and even asked if they had seen it, which they hadn't, because we were going to ask them if they knew what happened. They were so unbelievably rude to us, saying that they know they rewound it far enough. We were in the movie, we know what happened! Then both of them started saying if that was true, that the movie wasn't rewound far enough, that others would have complained! I don't know why others didn't complain. Maybe because there was only 15 minutes left. Maybe because they will contact head office directly. Or maybe they won't complain at all. Regardless, it doesn't matter. Our concern is our own and should have been treated with respect. I said "I don't care if others didn't complain" and they said "Well then we don't care to give you passes." We mentioned how terrible their customer service is and left. We called head office and the lady who spoke with us was so lovely. She apologized a few times and said she would contact the managers to ask them about it. I said "I wouldn't bother, because they will just say they rewound it far enough and that no others complained" and she said "I know you may think they won't listen, but the fact they brought up other customers not complaining is not cool and that needs to be addressed." We were just so thankful and appreciative that she heard our concerns and told her that we DON'T want free passes and just wanted to be treated with respect as paying customers. I wish I remembered her name, she had such great customer service! At the end of the day we don't care about the power going out, and we don't care about free passes and can certainly afford to pay for our own movies. We care about being treated absolutely horribly by two managers who clearly don't care about customer satisfaction or retention, and to top it off, it is our anniversary and we went to the movie to celebrate and their customer service, or lack thereof, totally ruined...