A Night at the Nexus

I've always been a fan of the theater. Growing up, my brother, father, and I would typically go to the movies at least once every couple of weeks, and it made quite an impression on me from an early age. The smell of popcorn, the dim lights, the big screen, and (of course) the movie itself... to a young me, it was a magical experience.

My love for the cinema continued throughout my formative years and well into my professional life. Two years out of college and into my first job, I was still attending the theater quite regularly (The Grand 18 in Hattiesburg was basically my second home). Then, in August of 2014, I moved to Mobile, Alabama, and things began to change.

With a population well over 300,000, the Mobile area didn't exactly lack for movie theaters, but what it did lack were theaters that people actually wanted to go to. On the west side of Mobile (where I lived), moviegoers had exactly two options: The run-down Carmike Wynnsong on Schillenger Rd (now an AMC), or the ghost town-like Regal Stadium over on Government St (which I had been advised to avoid). To a devoted moviegoer like myself who was also excited about living on a new metro, this was quite a disappointment.

In retrospect, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Even discounting the two lackluster options in West Mobile, traditional theaters overall were becoming increasingly low-rent. The crowds were dying off, theaters were not as well staffed or maintained, and cinema complexes were steadily acquiring a dubious distinction as havens for wondering teenagers and other sketchy characters to congregate and loiter. Call me what you will, but that's a big turn-off for me.

At the same time, my home movie-viewing experience had improved significantly. My father (with whom I was living at the time) had a theater of his own in the upper floor of his house. Complete with a large screen, surround sound system, leather recliners, and even a snack bar, there was little reason for me to venture out in search of the "theater experience". That, coupled with the new 65" 4K TV of my own that I had situated in my room downstairs, afforded me ultra-convenient viewing options at home that made the argument for going out to the theater much harder of a sell.

As a result, my theater attendance dropped off significantly. Rather than darkening the door of my local movie house every other weekend, I found myself showing up only for the occasional blockbuster release (like the latest Star Wars film).

All of that changed after my first night at the Nexus.

Nexus Cinema Dining (or simply "The Nexus") is a new "dine-in" theater that opened this past spring in Mobile. Nestled deep in the suburbs of West Mobile and containing only two screens (and a total of 117 seats), you can be forgiven if you drove past it without taking notice. However, the establishment's unimposing size stands in stark contrast to the exquisite experience that greets anyone who stops by for a visit.

First off, all ticketing for the Nexus is done online through their website. Rather than the split matinée/regular showtime pricing at traditional theaters, all tickets are priced at a premium $16.58 apiece. Seating is also reserved, so you pick your seat when you order your tickets, which is really handy for securing the best seats when you purchase your tickets early. And speaking of early purchasing, be sure to do it whenever you can. Since seating at the Nexus is limited, prime showtimes of major releases tend to sell out as much as a week in advance.

The Nexus main lobby

When you first enter the Nexus, the first thing you'll notice is the unique layout of the lobby. In addition to being a theater, the Nexus is also a full-service restaurant and bar, and the lobby serves as the dining area. In addition, the second floor of the Nexus includes an upstairs dining room that serves as a sports event viewing area, and is a popular hangout for those who want to catch a game and a movie.

The Nexus sports bar

Located at the rear of the building, the Nexus' two theater rooms, the primary "Main Stage" and the secondary "Theater", serve as the main attraction.

Main stage room seating

Theater room seating

As you can see, each room is equipped with multiple rows of plush, motorized leather recliners for seating, as well as 1-2 rows of table seating near the back. Now, it may seem odd that the Nexus elected to mix recliner and table seating in the theater, but I tried the table seating in the "Main Stage" during my first visit and it wasn't all that bad. Indeed, the extra room to spread out a bit that the table provides comes in handy during the dining experience (more on that later), but overall, I still much prefer the recliners.

The video and audio technology employed by the Nexus is top-notch. Each theater utilizes a 4K laser projection system (as opposed to the traditional bulb projectors used by most theaters) which not only provides a sharper image, but also better color saturation and contrast. In addition, the Nexus is also equipped with a full Dolby Atmos sound system, which features object-based sound and over 100 distinct audio channels. Before each film, a short tech demo is played for the audience that showcases these technologies. To put it plainly, the Nexus spared no expense in this area.

Now, the dining areas, seats, theaters, and technology are all well and good, but what about the dining experience? I mean, that's the main attraction, right? After all, it's in the name. Well, I can proudly report that the Nexus succeeds on that level as well.

Recliners with fold-out trays and tablets running the Nexus in-house app

Every seat in the theaters and the dining areas includes a tablet running the Nexus Dining App that you use to order food. You simply scroll through the menu, pick out the items you want, hit "Order", and a member of the staff will bring them out to you promptly.

Me during my second visit

I found the dining experience to be the most impressive part of the Nexus. Not only was the service prompt and the servers courteous, but the food was excellent and the menu was quite extensive. Now, you are going to pay a bit of a premium for the food (my personal favorite, the VooDoo Shrimp, comes in at about $10), but I found everything delicious. With a good variety of appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts (including Old Dutch ice cream!), there's something for everyone, even the pickiest of eaters. And of course, if you're not in the mood for a full meal, you can always just stick with the traditional popcorn and soda (each reasonably priced at about $3).

When describing the dining system to others, there's one question that I get a lot: Is the shuffling of servers in and out of the theater during the movie a distraction? It's a good question and an honest concern, but I'm happy to say that it's not a problem at all. The staff is very good at discretely and quickly making runs into the theater without causing a commotion. The aisles between the rows are wide enough for them to walk past without disturbing anyone, and they have a habit of ducking when serving during the movie so that they don't get in the way of the picture. Honestly, after the first few minutes of the movie, you're fixated enough that you don't really notice the staff bustling about.

Now, there is one other thing to note: The Nexus does leave the overhead lights in the theater on during the movie, though they do dim them significantly. This may seem strange to those who have only ever been to a traditional theater where all of the lights are completely extinguished for the feature presentation, but some degree of light is needed for the patrons to dine and for the staff to move about without incident. But like the previous concern, it really isn't much of an issue. Once you're 5 minutes into the movie, I guarantee that you'll stop noticing it.

Needless to say, after my first visit to the Nexus, I was hooked. I've been back several times since and have not been disappointed. Without a doubt, the Nexus has rekindled my love for the theater, and that means a lot to me.

If you're ever in the Mobile area and feel the hankering to see a movie, or even if you've never experienced a dining cinema and want to see what the fuss is about, I would highly recommend that you stop by and enjoy your own night at the Nexus.