SantiagoChile.com The Ultimate Guide to Santiago – for Residents & Visitors
Generally, when we travel abroad, it’s because we want to experience the culture, cuisine, and architecture of a foreign land. Perhaps that’s why you came to Santiago—you’d heard about the cosmopolitan city resting at the foot of the Andes and you wanted to explore it. But even the most seasoned traveler can grow weary of walking tours and trying to communicate in the local language. Sometimes you just want to relax in a cool place and enjoy a bit of entertainment in English. What better way to do this then taking in a movie at the theater? In Santiago, foreigners are in luck: there are hosts of cinemas that offer films in English throughout the city.
While there are over 20 large cinemas in the metropolitan area and its surrounding neighborhoods, there are three main companies that own the majority of the theaters. They are Cineplanet, CineHoyts, and Cinemark. An internet search of these companies will bring up many results, but that’s because they have theaters out in the faraway neighborhoods of Santiago, which are difficult to access via public transportation. You can ignore these, as there are plenty of offerings in the center that you can easily reach via bus, metro, or taxi.
Perhaps the most bustling of the theaters is Cineplanet in the Costanera Center, with over 20 screening rooms and films showing from 10 am until midnight. This theater is located on the 5th floor of the Costanera Center (just next to the Tobalaba metro stop on the red line). Tickets range from 3.000-6.000 depending on the day, time, and whether the film is in 3D. There are discounted prices for children, students, and seniors—but the student prices only apply if you have a valid ID from a Chilean educational institution. There are special offers on Wednesdays, with discounts of up to $2.000 per ticket. If you’d like to go to this cinema, make sure to arrive well in advance, as the line for purchasing tickets is notoriously long. The other Cineplanet in the center is located at Plaza Alameda, close to the Estación Central metro stop on the red line. This one is a bit less crowded than the one in Costanera, but it also offers fewer film and time options.
The most prolific of the three companies is certainly Cine Hoyts, with the greatest amount of locations throughout the metropolitan area. There is one at Estación Central as well as one at San Agustín, several blocks away from the Santa Lucia metro stop (also red line). For those tourists staying in Las Condes, there is also a Hoyts in the mall Parque Arauco, which is accessible via the 411 or C11 public bus (or by taxi, for a much faster ride). These cinemas tend to be a bit less crowded than the Cineplanet in Costanera, but it’s still advisable to arrive early to purchase your ticket, as Hoyts is very popular. They tend to offer all big new release movies, as well as other recent films that have shown continued popularity. Ticket prices are similar to those of Cineplanet, with special offers available via online purchase.
The third of these main companies is Cinemark, with locations including Alto Las Condes (C15 or 411 bus) and Portal Nuñoa (516 or 506 bus), as well as others in the suburban areas of Santiago. These theaters are a bit smaller than the other ones, which means that they offer fewer films and showing times, but they are also less crowded and slightly cheaper.
No matter which theater you choose, make sure to confirm the film time on their website. Unless you understand Spanish perfectly, make sure you’re seeing a “subtitulada” film—it’ll be in the original language (usually English) with Spanish subtitles. For those who do speak Spanish, you can see a “doblada” film, which means that the original voices from the film have been dubbed with Spanish-speaking voiceovers. Beware of these: the dubbing is often very over-exaggerated and can detract from the quality of your viewing experience.
Tickets are often cheaper if you purchase them online in advance, but this can only be done with Chilean credit or debit cards. Additionally, most of the cinemas offer a variety of promotions based on your various affiliations, such as your cell-phone carrier or your bank. For example, Cinemark offers discounts to Entel customers. Most of these discounts are difficult for tourists to get, but it’s worth asking to see if there’s something you qualify for. There are always promotions for discounted snacks and drinks with certain films, so check on the websites and keep an eye out for offers posted in the theater. It can be a bit confusing, but it’s all worth it for the relaxing experience of seeing a film in a nice, air-conditioned room.
