Christopher Gabro - The Killing of a Sacred Deer

I go to the movies just about every weekend and I attempt to go at show times that most people would not be at so that I can have the optimal experience while watching the movie.  The other week I went to see The Killing of a Sacred Deer and there was no one in the auditorium until two minutes’ prior the movie starting.  Thankfully they did not sit directly next to me and chose to sit in the far back row.  Half way throughout the movie I heard an uproar that was not talking but rather it was that of a snoring husband and wife.  Both were sitting loosely about their seats in a somber sleep omitting the most horrendous of sounds possible during a film.

This brings me to question the way in which experience a film.  On hand its personal relationship between the subject and the object being projected.  On the other hand, movies are shown in large auditoriums where multiple subjects gather to gaze into the work of art.  My relationship to the other members of the audiences constitute the way in which I view the film.  The way in which they adjust their seats, crumble food in their mouth, and occasionally fall asleep affect my interaction with the work of art.

Now do I judge the aesthetic stance of the film based solely on the film or is my experience at theater itself intertwined directly with the object?  Or does my reaching of the film in a friendlier auditorium or my watching of the film at home where my experience is not ruptured by other subjects what I use to base my judgement of the film?  However, it seems as though certain films attract certain moviegoers as opposed to others and should I not then judge the film for having the appeal to a couple that is willing to sleep during the film?