AMC Sunset Place 24
5701 Sunset Dr. #300, South Miami305-740-8904
amctheatres.com
Sunset Place is about to ride off into the sunset. The much-maligned, mostly-empty shopping mall will reportedly be torn down and replaced with a mixed-use complex designed by the firm of starchitect Thomas Heatherwick. Yet its one remaining anchor tenant, the AMC multiplex, is still humming along. Having to fill 24 screens means AMC Sunset Place is one of the best places to catch late-run movies that left most other theaters weeks ago, indie flicks that don't play anywhere else in the county, and foreign films from India, Vietnam, Latin America, and elsewhere. It also offers premium formats such as IMAX and Dolby, private theater rentals, membership discounts, and yes, you can even have a beer with your movie. Enjoy it while it lasts.
AMC Tamiami 18
11865 SW 26th St., Miami786-507-5916
amctheatres.com
There's nothing particularly flashy about this AMC location near the FIU campus in west Miami-Dade. But that's precisely what makes it appealing: It's a perfect place if you live out in the suburbs and want nothing more than to see a movie without worrying about driving into the city, finding parking, and so on. It's also adjacent to a classic Old Miami pizza joint, JC's Pizzeria, where you can fill up on perfectly greasy slices before your flick. Movies, pizza, what more do you need?
Coral Gables Art Cinema
260 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables786-472-2249
gablescinema.com
Situated in downtown Coral Gables across the street from Books & Books, Gables Art Cinema is the best art house theater in South Florida. The theater screens all sorts of new-release independent and foreign films, repertory screenings of classic cinema, and special engagements. It's a fixture of our monthly list of the best movies to see in Miami, and you're just as likely to see a 35mm screening of Memoria on the calendar as you are an indie slapstick comedy like Hundreds of Beavers or an animated masterpiece like It's Such A Beautiful Day or The End of Evangelion.
Cosford Cinema
5030 Brunson Dr., Coral Gables305-284-4627
cosfordcinema.com
Named after the late Miami Herald film critic Bill Cosford and headed up by his successor and current UM professor, Rene Rodriguez, the Cosford is the University of Miami's campus movie house. Nearly all screenings are free (or charge a very small entry fee), and curation extends to recent releases geared toward students as well as repertory screenings of cinema classics. The theater also occasionally hosts special events, and it's most active when school is in session in the fall and spring.
Le Jeune Cinemas 6
782 NW Le Jeune Rd., Miami305-529-8883
oceancinemas.com
It's easy to miss this unassuming picture house inside a glass-walled office block on Le Jeune Road and NW Seventh St. Dating back to the late 1980s, this multiplex in the Ocean Bank office complex, nicknamed the "Ocean Bank cinema," is a no-frills, yet reliable and inexpensive place to see the latest films. Its $6 Tuesday is one of the best movie deals in the city, and standard ticket prices are inexpensive, too. The theater also offers certain films in Spanish through TheaterEars, and its proximity to the airport means you can kill some time checking out the latest blockbuster during your layover.
O Cinema South Beach
1130 Washington Ave., Miami Beacho-cinema.org
In the 2010s, O Cinema ran art house theaters in Wynwood and North Beach. They've since closed, but a South Beach location endures inside the former Miami Beach Cinemateque in the Old City Hall. The nonprofit theater is also planning an expansion into Little River, but Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner nearly shuttered the 50-seat South Beach location over its willingness to show the Oscar-winning Palestinian-Israeli documentary No Other Land back in March. Political documentaries are not O Cinema South Beach's bread and butter, however. You'll typically find recent art house and auteur releases on the schedule, as well as experiences like concert films and "immersive" VR movies.
Regal South Beach
1120 Lincoln Rd. Mall, Miami Beach844-462-7342
regmovies.com
Miami Beach's only multiplex has been threatened with closure due to Regal Cinemas' post-pandemic struggles. Yet the theater, one of the largest in South Florida with a spacious multi-level atrium and neo-Deco architecture and interiors, remains open for business. In addition to the usual major studio fare, the theater also gets international movies, independent films, and special event screenings. Netflix has occasionally screened movies here for award-qualifying runs.
Silverspot Cinema Downtown Miami
300 SE Third St. #100, Miami305-536-5000
silverspot.net
Luxury dine-in movie theaters are pretty common in Miami, from CMX in Brickell and Doral to Cinepolis in the Grove and IPIC in North Miami Beach. All offer a fairly similar experience, with a menu of slightly upscale bar food brought to your seat during the movie. Silverspot differentiates itself enough to be considered the best of these. Even if you don't do the dining thing, the screens are big, the seats are comfortable, and the sound is immersive. It's no wonder events such as the Miami Film Festival and OutShine often rent out the place for screenings. Its central location in downtown Miami is both a blessing and a curse: You do have to pay for parking in a nearby garage, but it's close to the MetroMover, making public transit an option, and there's a Whole Foods nearby if you want to sneak in some (slightly) less expensive snacks.
