Wicked or harmless? The cinema practice dividing the internet

A celebration of art or the height of rudeness?

Wicked fans have strangers on the internet arguing the point as they post videos and photos from the hit musical film online and encourage others to do so.

In the process they have reignited a debate about whether phones should ever be used in the cinema, even if they are paying tribute to the film itself.

Wicked: Part 1, the film adaptation of a popular stage musical based on a book of the same name, beat box office expectations in both the US and Australia when it opened last week.

The film — an origin story for The Wizard of Oz’s Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West — has already sparked another etiquette controversy, with some audience members singing along with the talent onscreen. It is enough of a problem that one US theatre chain has been forced to post signs asking viewers not to join in with the musical numbers.

The latest controversy has erupted online, where overenthusiastic fans have started posting photos and videos shot on their phones during the film.

To those who do it, the practice is a harmless attempt to share their experience and deliver some free publicity for a film they love.

For critics, it is the ultimate act of selfishness, disrespecting other patrons as well as the filmmakers. It is also illegal.

“I’m sorry but I HAD to record the final scene of Wicked,” said one social media post, accompanied by a shaky video of the film’s climactic scene. The video has since been removed for copyright infringement.

Another post with 17 million views urged followers to “show ur ‘wicked part 1’ photosss [sic’]”, accompanied by a photo of the opening credits, clearly shot from inside a cinema.

Some complied with their own photos, while others urged viewers to “put your phones away”.

“Have some respect for the people in the same cinema as you,” said one.

“It’s people like you that ruin cinema experiences,” said another.

Yet another had some legal advice for anyone thinking about following suit: “Yeah this is super illegal.”

Elizabeth Soos, founder and coach of Melbourne’s Auersmont School of Etiquette and Protocol, said there was only one excuse for using a phone in a cinema — and it did not involve social media.

“Using a phone in the cinema is almost always a breach of etiquette,” she said. “These places are a shared space where people come to immerse themselves in a story.

“The glow of a phone screen, no matter how brief, is distracting to others and breaks the atmosphere. It’s also a sign of respect to remain present and focused on the experience you’ve chosen to attend, both for the sake of others and for the art being presented.

“The only time a phone should be used, while walking out of the cinema, is in an emergency situation.

“You will always have some that ignore the rules and are desperate to tell the world where they have been and what they are doing.”

Ms Soos said there had been a “noticeable decline” in public manners at the cinema over the past decade, which she attributed to the rise of streaming services and habits formed during the COVID pandemic.

“Many people now bring their at-home behaviours into the cinema environment,” she said.

She said cinema management needed to educate cinema-goers and could consider a permanent “social media wall” outside popular films to provide a more appropriate place for photos to be taken.

“Cinema and theatre bodies need to help people understand that capturing or sharing parts of a movie without permission not only violates copyright laws but disrespects the work of those who poured effort into creating it,” Ms Soos said.