Arts Vanity: The Boston Common AMC Is The Moment

You can picture it. Or you can’t, if you’ve never been to the Boston Common AMC. But rest assured, Dear Reader, when I tell you that this megaplex movie theater is the closest thing you will find to heaven on the streets of Boston.

Quietly nestled on the side of quaint Tremont Street, the Boston Common AMC looms large in the canon of iconic Boston landmarks. Forget the Citgo Sign and the Old State House, those eyesores should have been torn down years ago: Everyone knows that the city’s real crown jewel is the Boston Common AMC. And don’t just take my word for it, because history has always been on its side. After seeing an early cut of “Avengers: Endgame” in the IMAX theater, George Washington turned to Abraham Lincoln and said, “Oh my God, that was the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. In fact, we ought to gain independence from Britain to truly honor this place.” You heard that right! The Boston Common AMC was single-handedly responsible for sparking the American Revolution.

Now, centuries later, the building is bigger and better than ever. For easy transportation to the theater, visitors can either take the Red Line to Park Street Station (which is its own feast for the eyes) or park in the nearby Ritz-Carlton garage for the shockingly low price of $100. Either way, prepare yourself to enter the building and be greeted by an open-concept lobby that looks like the inside of a beautiful Art Deco mansion. The customer service at this location is second to none, and the bored teenager scanning tickets in between TikToks will always look up from their phone long enough to lovingly say, “Theater Twelve.”

Now it’s time for the fun part: the escalator. Everyone knows that watching movies on street level is so pedestrian (and downright unsanitary!), so the Boston Common AMC plays almost all its movies on the second floor. Plus, if the escalator is broken for the day, you get a workout and a movie for one low price!

Once you arrive at the summit, you will find not just a concession stand but also MacGuffins Bar. No, you didn’t read that wrong: There is a full service bar inside this movie theater. Some prominent publications have deemed MacGuffins “Boston’s Greatest Bar You’ve Never Heard Of” simply because the atmosphere is always electric. Just the other week, I saw Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez getting a nightcap at MacGuffins. As for the concession stand, I hear the line moves reliably fast but I can’t personally comment due to my status as an AMC A-List Member. Along with many other benefits, I have access to a special concession line marked by a golden rope, so I always fly through the queue and revel in the envy of my non-A-List peers.

Once equipped with provisions, moviegoers can add butter to their popcorn and pour their soda before heading to the main event; don’t worry about how sticky the screen on the soda machine is, I promise it came like that. Luckily, there’s no such thing as a bad theater in the Boston Common AMC. In fact, each one has its own special amenity. Some of the theaters have seats with missing armrests which makes laying down a breeze, one has an entire row of seats that is coming unscrewed from the floor (extra reclining!), and another one is often hot enough to double as a sauna. So sit back, relax, and try not to worry about that creepy guy in the Patriots hoodie pulling an entire burrito out of his jacket pocket (that’s just me).

After your movie is over, try not to cry until you're outside the building. The AMC Boston Common has been on this earth for millenia, and it will always be there for you in your time of need. So wave goodbye to the friendly security guard, block your ears when you open the squeaky door to avoid hearing loss, and breathe the cold Boston air as a new person.

Okay, I have to go. “Avatar 2” is about to start and the usher is threatening to kick me out for typing so loudly. God, I love this place!

—Incoming Film Executive Brady M. Connolly is a card-holding AMC A-List Member who is getting tired of the Nicole Kidman advertisement that plays before every movie. Like, I’m already here! I know AMC makes movies better! Didn’t you read my vanity, Nicole?