January 19, 2026

Having spent the last three years working in theatrical exhibition, I love movie theaters. I love everything about them, always have, ever since I was a little kid. But having a bit of that behind-the-curtain view of how they operate gives me more appreciation for what goes into running and managing a successful movie theater. One of the fun perks of my job was to visit the theaters I booked for, often in different States. Any time you travel across the country, there are always subtle differences to each destination, but some things stay very much the same.

But what about in other countries? I’ve been in Paris since New Year’s Day and have made it a point to take photos of any cinemas I walk passed because there are SO many here within such close proximity to each other. I’ve already been to the cinema three times since I got here. Initially, I was just taking photos for the fun of it and to share it with my fellow film buyer colleagues, but then I decided to collect them all here, in one spot, because I figured other cinephiles would be curious to see the cinemas of Paris!

UGC Gobelins – 66 bis Av. des Gobelins, 75013 Paris

This particular UGC location is within walking distance from where I’m staying. UGC is a chain with several locations all over Paris, not too dissimilar to AMC in the States. It also happens to be Paris’ most well attended theater chain, showing all the latest Hollywood blockbusters, often in their original English language with French subtitles, as well as many well-regarded new European releases.

I recall way back in 2018 coming to this theater for the first time to see THE MEG! (Titled “In Troubled Waters” for the French.) Right now, you can see everything from AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, ZOOTOPIA 2, to Jim Jarmusch’s latest FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER, THE SECRET AGENT, French comedy MA FRERE (My Brother), THE BOJARSKI AFFAIR (aka “The Money Maker”), Japanese drama JUSQU’A L’AUBE (“All The Long Nights”).

Earlier today, I caught an afternoon showing of LA FEMME DE MÉNAGE which translates to “The Cleaning Lady.” It’s actually Lionsgate’s Sydney Sweeney movie THE HOUSEMAID! It’s a straight forward multiplex for the Parisian audience.

Pathé Les Fauvettes – 58 Av. des Gobelins, 75013 Paris

One mere block away from the UGC Gobelins is this theater, the Pathé Les Fauvettes, which shows a handful of Hollywood titles, such as AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, THE HOUSEMAID, and ZOOTOPIA 2 in French DUB. Also currently playing there, Chinese drama THE STREETS OF MANHATTAN (known here in the States as LUCKY LU) and French drama THE BOJARSKI AFFAIR (aka The Money Maker), which I’ve seen advertised on a lot of bus stops here.

Cinema Escurial – 11 Bd de Port-Royal, 75013 Paris

This small two screen theater is a few minutes walk from where I’m staying. I first came here on my birthday, August 15th, 2018 to see Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (probably my fourth or fifth time?) and just this week, I decided to walk on over there to see Jim Jarmusch’s latest film FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER.

I was nervous when the ticket usher obviously didn’t speak any English, but I simply said to him, “Une. Jim Jarmusch!” And he replied, “Ah! Easy.” A lot of the older folks of the neighboring community seem to attend this humble spot!

Le Grand Action – 5 Rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris, France

La Grand Action is a great, truly independent primarily repertory movie theater; a cinephile’s dream! They’re currently playing Hong Kong classics CITY ON FIRE and THE KILLER, along with THE LIGHTS OF NEW YORK and THE SUNKEN ONE. I see some Herzog and the CHINESE GHOST STORY movies also on queue, and despite not focusing too heavily on brand new releases, they will be playing MARTY SUPREME in February. Alisa told me this was one of the few spots in town that you could catch a horror double feature on Halloween night, as the holiday itself isn’t widely celebrated here! It’s a cool spot, and it’s within walking distance of the restaurant “Breakfast In America” if you’re in Paris and craving a good old fashioned American style breakfast!

Ecoles Cinéma Club – 23 Rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris, France

Another great 2-screen repertory theater is the Ecoles Cinéma Club located in the heart of the Latin Quarter. Way back in 2018 was my first time visiting this spot to see Alfred Hitchcock’s original 1960 classic PSYCHO! (I’m fairly certain it was a DVD / Blu-Ray because I recognized the menu music before it started, but regardless, still a great experience!) As you can see from the marquee photos I took below, the programming is top notch for a movie lover: TOKYO GODFATHERS, LE PARRAIN 2, MULHOLLAND DR, OLDBOY, CINEMA PARADISO, BARRY LYNDON! Hell, I see ENTER THE VOID listed on their website right now. They also sell Dario Argento T-shirts!

UGC Danton – 99 Bd Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris

Another UGC showing the usual mix of Hollywood, foreign, and sometimes royal opera performance films, and documentaries. Within walking distance from…

UGC Odéon – 124 Bd Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris

A block away and walking distance from the UGC Danton, offering a handful more titles!

mk2 Odéon (côté St Germain) – 113 Bd Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris

Originally one large amphitheater style house, this theater was taken over and expanded by the MK2 company and split into several screens where they offer a variety of art-house, classic films in their original language, and the Hollywood hits! Two separate sections to enter, currently playing (besides AVATAR: ASH AND FIRE) is DUSE (Pietro Marcello’s bio pic about legendary Italian stage actress Eleonora Duse played by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), FURCY NE LIBRE (Furc Born Free), and a lecture film by philosopher Charles Pépin titled Vivre s’apprend-il ? (Is Living Something You Can Learn?)

Mk2 Odéon (Côté StMichel) – 7 Rue Hautefeuille, 75006 Paris, France

I managed to pop over to the other mK2 Odéon location, the Côté StMichel, which as you can see had a more traditional, cozy Parisian look to it, as opposed to the other one’s multi-plex appearance. Their focus is on art-house and international films, as well as French films in their original language. As you can see by the featured posters, they were playing DUSE, PALESTINE 36, and FURCY NE LIBRE (Furc Born Free).

Nouvel Odéon – 6 Rue de l’Ecole de Médecine, 75006 Paris

A small independent art house cinema, Nouvel Odéon is currently showing more alternative content programming which includes THE STRANGER, DOSSIER 137, LA CONDITION, and the documentary LE CHANT DES FORETS (THE SONG OF THE FORESTS). It’s where you would’ve caught Richard Linklater’s NOUVELLE VAGUE. They’ve even got a screening of one of Alfred Hitchcock’s rarest silent films À l’américaine (AMERICAN STYLE aka CHAMPAGNE) coming up!

Studio Galande – 42 Rue Galande, 75005 Paris

Studio Galande is a cool little arthouse style, repertory independent cinema. They show ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW every Friday and Saturday night, and when we walked by, their programming included a tribute to David Lynch, featuring such films as BLUE VELVET, LOST HIGHWAY, THE STRAIGHT STORY, TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME and SAILOR AND LULU (aka WILD AT HEART)! They’ve got one-offs of I SAW THE TV GLOW, EYES WIDE SHUT, PARASITE, and LOST IN TRANSLATION on their January 2026 calendar too!

Le Champo – 51 Rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris

Right on the corner of Rue des Écoles and Rue Champollion is the arthouse cinema, Le Champo, or as it’s known by its full name, “Le Champo – Espace Jacques-Tati.” It’s got that extra tag because, as Wikipedia puts it, it’s “in the Latin Quarter of Paris and notable for being a favorite haunt of important figures in French cinema history.” This month, they’ve got a Jim Jarmusch block, including MYSTERY TRAIN, STRANGER THAN PARADISE, DOWN BY LAW, GHOST DOG, DEAD MAN, and other celebrated classics like METROPOLIS and PARIS, TEXAS!

Reflet Médicis – 3 Rue Champollion, 75005 Paris

A few feet down from Le Champo, you’ll spot Reflet Médicis, a repertory arthouse cinema where you’ll currently find titles like TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, TWIN PEAKS: THE MISSING PIECES, SOLARIS, STALKER, along with Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s CURE and NEKROMANTIK 2! They’ve even got a Béla Tarr tribute up on their calendar! This is the spot where Alisa told me she was able to see a lot of Dario Argento’s films!

Filmothèque du Quartier Latin – 9 Rue Champollion, 75005 Paris

Another great, great theater within a stones throw away from both Le Champo and Reflet Médicis is Filmothèque! It’s another repertory spot that does director spotlights. Back in 2018, Alisa and I came here to see INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS during a tribute to Quentin Tarantino. It was then that I realized just how much of that movie is not in English! Right now, they’re in the middle of a retrospective on the work of Francis Ford Coppola, as well as a tribute to Brigitte Bardot! This is a small, cozy cinephile’s dream. Perhaps the New Beverly of Paris!

Cinéma du Panthéon – 13 Rue Victor Cousin, 75005 Paris

Cinéma du Panthéon is one of the oldest theaters in Paris! It has been operating in this spot for over 100 years, having opened in February of 1907! It features a “salon” where people can get coffee and pastries, and plays original independent French cinema. Currently, they are showing MEKTOUB, MY LOVE: CANTO DUE. You can sneak a peek at the inside from the stories on their Instagram page HERE.

L’Epée de Bois (The Wooden Sword) – 100 Rue Mouffetard, 75005 Paris

L’Epée de Bois is a cozy little theater tucked away in the middle of a long street of shops, bakeries, and restaurants on Rue Mouffetard. It’s very much an “indie” movie theater currently showing: MAGELLAN, QUI BRILLE AU COMBATE (Who Shines In Battle),  UNE ENFANCE ALLEMANDE – Île d’Amrum, 1945 (A German Childhood), LA CONDITION, LES ENFANTS VONT BIEN (The Children Are Doing Well), DES PREUVES D’AMOUR (Proofs Of Love), DOSSIER 137, L’INCONNU DE LA GRANDE ARCHE (The Stranger From The Great Arch), L’ÉTRANGER, and film classics like CASABLANCA!

Cinéma La Clef – 34 Rue Daubenton, 75005 Paris

La Clef has a long and turbulent history! The building is currently closed for renovations, as it seems they are building some sort of cafe / bar component inside, but judging from their Instagram page, they have programs scheduled for the very end of January. Although founded in the 70s and having several iterations and owners over the years, it wasn’t until 2019 that it was taken over by La Clef Revival Collective, a non profit organization of volunteers, to show and discuss shorts, political films, and other lesser known works. During Covid, they would screen films outside on their wall. The collective, with the support of filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese and John Carpenter, have put in a bid to own the building themselves and continue to support cinema and art here. After a 6 year struggle, it appears as though they’re about to finally open their doors to the public again this month. You can read a bit more about the re-opening via this article right HERE.

UGC Rotonde – 103 Bd du Montparnasse, 75006 Paris

UGC Montparnasse – 83 Bd du Montparnasse, 75006 Paris

Les 7 Parnassiens – 98 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 16 Rue Delambre, 75014 Paris

With seven screens and an outdoor garden, Les 7 Parnassiens is considered one of the largest, most visited “art house” cinemas in Paris. They’re currently focused on screening largely independent foreign films, such as: THE BOJARSKU AFFAIR, ELENORA DUSE, THE SECRET AGENT, FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER, THE SONGS OF THE FORESTS, PALESTINE 36, ECHOES OF THE PAST, HARVEST TIME, and A GERMAN CHILDHOOD.

Cinéma Saint-André des Arts – 30 Rue Saint-André des Arts, 75006 Paris, France

The St Andre De Arts theater is a quaint little 3-screen complex in the heart of Paris’s Latin Quarter that dates back to the 13th century! Lots of history in that area, and lots of programming on their schedule. Everything from one-offs screenings of ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER and BUGONIA, along with foreign films like LOVE ME TENDER, A POET, THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB, French films like DOSSIER 137 and THE STRANGER, and even short films like IMPRERIAL PRINCESS. A great place for local students and artists to catch diverse international films with French subtitles!

Christine Cinema Club – 4 Rue Christine, 75006 Paris, France

The Christine Cinemas Club is kind of the sister theater to Ecoles Cinema Club which I figured above. It’s only a 2-screen theater, but judging from the programming, it’s one of the best selections of repertory titles in Paris! Skim the schedules above and you’ll see upcoming showings of Charlie Chaplin’s classic THE KID, indie cult hits like REQUIEM FOR A DREAM and BOYS DON’T CRY, DONNIE DARKO and the original SCREAM! Even cinema classics like CITIZEN KANE, CASABLANCA, PULP FICTION, BRAZIL, John Carpenter’s THE THING are all on queue. Definitely a place I would frequent if I were a local!

Espace Saint-Michel (Cafe / Bar / Cinema!) – 7 Pl. Saint-Michel, 75005 Paris, France

Now this spot looked so cool! I wish I had time to go in and explore but we were catching a bus! Espace Saint-Michel is a 2-screen movie theater, but also a cafe and bar; a place where artists and musicians can perform and hang out. Film wise, you can see Elzat Eskendir’s drama ABEL or Ferzan Ozpetek’s DIAMONDS. Documentaries like EVERYTHING IS FINE and ANIMUS FEMINA. Or restorations of Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO, VERTIGO, and STRANGERS ON A TRAIN! Or catch a low-key concert at the Cafe/Bar. This is on my list for my next visit!

Cinéma le Max Linder aka Max Linder Panorama – 24 Bd Poissonnière, 75009 Paris

Considered one of the most beautiful screens in Paris, the Max Linder Panorama features one gigantic curved screen, about 18m wide, and three full balcony sections. It’s where PIFFF the Paris International Fantasy Film Festival takes place every year, so it’s one of the only chances smaller genre films get a chance to play on a screen this big! They’re operational all year round often showing the latest movies, sometimes with special guests.

Grand Rex – 1 Bd Poissonnière, 75002 Paris

With a capacity of 2800, La Grand Rex lives up to its “grand” name and hosts cinema and concert events, some of the biggest in all of France! It features 7 screening “halls” (or rooms); 1 concert and show venue; 1 club (Rex Club); 1 Museum (Rex Studios). A lot of big premiere events happen here. For example, they were advertising a screening of MARTY SUPREME when it opens in February with Timothée Chalamet in attendance! If you want an idea of how crazy the inside of the main hall is, here’s a fun “audience reaction” video from 2021 on the opening night of SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME at the Grand Rex!

UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles – 7 place de la rotonde, 75001 Paris

Last but certainly not least is the UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles, one of the biggest complexes in Paris, but also one of the most lucrative and well attended! Every time I’ve been here, it’s been pretty packed! I have fond memories of seeing SHANG CHI and FREE GUY here. We also did a double feature one afternoon of DON’T BREATHE 2 and MALIGNANT. (French people, in general, do not react at all to movies. They’re often silent and respectful, but there were a lot of laughs for the campiness of MALIGNANT!)

And now, just this past weekend, we went on opening night to see 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE, which was a pleasant surprise and great experience! The most fascinating part of theaters in Paris, and even big complexes like this, is they only screen one movie per screen; meaning new movies don’t get multiple screens. You have to plan accordingly and show up when they play! If it’s sold out, they believe in giving their audiences a very diverse slate to choose from. As you can see from what’s playing elsewhere, it’s a far wider selection of different types of films. And that’s what keeps audiences engaged. Also, something we could never get away with in the States that this particular UGC does; as soon as you walk into your theater, all cell phone usage is blocked! No text, Internet, etc. You just have to wait until you get out. I love the cinemas of Paris!

BONUS: Barberousse Shooter Bar – 60 R. Quincampoix, 75004 Paris

What’s a movie without a little post-theater discussion? After seeing 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE, my friend Cedric brought us to Barberousse Shooter Bar in Paris where we had “Le Roulette Rousse,” a spinner with 10 different whiskey shots, some beers, and a snack plate with meats, cheese, and a baguette! We discussed everything from the 28 DAYS LATER franchise to French cinema to AIRWOLF and DEXTER: RESURRECTION! Just a fun way to cap off a night at the movies, and this article about Paris movie theaters! Au revoir et merci!

*Editors note: This article was originally published on January 19th, 2026 and has since been updated twice. Once on January 23rd to include Max Linder Panorama and Le Grand Rex, and again on January 26th to add mK2 St Michel, Cinema St Andre Des Arts, Christine Cinema Club, and Espace St Michel.