Like many of us, I've become more inclined to slump on the sofa than venture out to the cinema in recent years.

Whether it's rising ticket prices or that we can stream any TV show or film we like at our fingertips, it feels like less and less people go to the movies now.

Truthfully, I've probably only been to the cinema a handful of times in the last few years.

Probably once at Christmas to see the year's big Blockbuster and of, course we can't forget the movie event of 2023 - Barbenheimer. 

Barking and Dagenham Post: Here's whether I think the Cineworld Unlimited membership is worth it. ( Newsquest)Here's whether I think the Cineworld Unlimited membership is worth it. ( Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)

But earlier this year, I decided to take the gamble on a Cineworld Unlimited membership.

Gamble might sound a little dramatic but we're in a cost of living crisis and I already have an expensive £6 iced coffee addiction that requires a lot of my attention. 

But between the dark and dreich winter weather and the fact I had to walk past the showtimes every day to get to my caffeine, I was eventually sucked in (I'm just a girl after all!).

So what does the Unlimited membership offer you and is it worth the expense?

What does the Cineworld Unlimited membership include?

For £16.99, you can go to the cinema as much as you want in a month.

If it's a standard 2D seating, you get in for free (girl math) or within the price of your membership to the financially savvy of you.

However, you do need to pay a little extra to watch films in IMAX, 3D, 4DX, Superscreen or ScreenX.

That also goes for Event cinema including any showing of the National Theatre or Opera performances but you do get a 50% discount.

As part of the membership, you get 10% off the cinema snacks and drinks.

According to Cineworld, the discount goes up to 25% after being a member for 12 months.

Loyalty does seem to pay off because you also automatically get upgraded to 3D movies after a year.

There are other discounts available too including 25% off your total bill at Cineworld's partner restaurants Bella Italia, Café Rouge and Las Iguanas.

Unfortunately for me, none of these spots are close to my local cinema ( but that might be for the best!).

Looks like I'll have to more than make up for it with the 10% discount I get at the in-house Starbucks!

I signed up for a membership just before my birthday and I was delighted with the free popcorn treat I received.

All of which costs less than the price of two cinema tickets a month as I've been reminded by the incessant advertising.

These benefits have been great, I'm saving a little on my coffee addiction and it has put an end to the existential dread that the Netflix search bar often provokes.

That being said, the thing that I've loved the most about being a member is the advanced screening.

This is where Unlimited customers get to see unlimited movies before they are released to the general public.

Cineworld advertises it as the 'red carpet treatment' and I can understand why.

I've been to a couple of advanced screenings since I started my membership - one for Wicked Little Letters and the other for Mothers' Instinct.

First off, they were both great films but there's something about the advanced screening that makes cinema feel like an event again. 

You might not believe it but it does feel like there's something in the air during those showings.

Now, it could just be sweet and salty popcorn, but I think it's more than that.

There's something about eating popcorn before anyone else knows that the popcorn is even there.

Is the Cineworld Unlimited membership worth it? 

Before I go away and analyse what this says about me, I'll answer the question you came here to get answers to.

Is it worth it?

As a single adult who's always enjoyed film and has fallen out of love with scrolling on streaming apps, I must say it is.

Becoming a member has meant I can afford to go see films that I would never have considered before simply because I couldn't justify the cost of the cinema ticket.

It has meant that I could judge for myself which award-nominated flicks I thought deserved the Oscar.

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The membership has brought me closer to my movie-loving mates too.

From bonding over each jaw-dropping scene and tear-jerking moment to spending the next week reliving it all.

I've laughed, cried, squirmed in my seat and fallen in love with cinema all over again.