Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market

Super-​cool little theater for catching indie and classic movies. The place has a great ambiance and plays good stuff. It’s a nice alternative to E-​Street Other commenters have laid out the realities of the pop-​up format (sound, seats on the same plane), though I must say that neither of those bothered me on my first visit here.
One thing to be aware of if you’re going by metro is that it’s about a 10 minute walk through warehousy-​areas that feel, as another commenter put it, «sketchy». Structural realities about racism and classism from which sketchiness emerges notwithstanding, it’s good to be aware of this before you go. Just pre-​plan the route you’re going to take from metro to theater, because you can’t see the theater until you get pretty close to it.
This is a great space for having cool cinema experiences! Go to it!

Tucked away behind Union Market, the Angelika Pop-​Up Theatre is a movie lover’s paradise.
There are two theatres that play a rotating cast of art house movies and documentaries that never seem to disappoint. When purchasing a ticket, you must select your seat, so make sure to purchase your tickets with your friends. These theatres also aren’t stadium seating and have plenty of leg room, so you picking a spot in the first three rows is ideal.
Being an avid movie lover, the only reason I didn’t rate this five-​stars was that I thought the popcorn was a little stale and they clearly had made it a few hours earlier and prepared it in the page. (Though you do get to put on your own butter!)
Next time your in the mood to go to the movies, I would recommend checking this place out.

We had the choice between seeing a movie here or at the Landmark — Bethesda Row, and chose the Angelika Pop-​Up because we could follow the movie with dinner at Union Market. I was pleasantly surprised by the experience! It may be a bit hard to locate if you’re not familiar with the area or don’t know what you’re looking for — it’s just a warehouse, no marquee or anything outside. It’s a small theater, I believe only 3 screens.
Matinée tickets were #$ 8.00. I didn’t get anything to eat or drink, but it seemed like they had a broad selection of refreshments. There’s also a lounge area in the lobby.
I liked that we had the option to reserve seats when buying tickets online — we didn’t buy them until we arrived but it’s good to know we can do this in the future. We ended up sitting in I believe the 2^nd or 3^rd row. We were worried it might be too close to the screen but I think it actually was a great location. The seats are NOT stadium-​style, which meant I had no idea what seats to pick because all of my usual seat-​selection criteria went out the window — but I genuinely don’t think there are any bad seats. The theater room we were in seemed to dwarf the seating area, which looked to me to be fewer than 50 seats. I think they probably could easily have doubled the number of seats in the room, but I appreciate that they didn’t likely because that would mean there would be bad seats. The seats themselves were spacious and the rows were well spaced out — we had enough space to stretch our legs out straight in front of us without hitting the seats in front of us (which would have only been made better by foot rests or recliners… maybe in the permanent location?)

What an adorable pop-​up!!! Located near Union Market and right next to Dolcezza for a quick treat before or after the movie.
There are 3 theatres… I’m late on the train so I’m watching a movie that’s been out for more than 2 months. My movie shares the theatre with another film .
You pop in, purchase your ticket at an electronic counter. There’s workers manning the snack station. There’s a reading/​working/​waiting area in the lobby wi th couches and tables.
The décor boasts of vintage movie posters, vivid colors, pastered on the wall or framed, leading the way to your featured film. I want to come back and enjoy another film. They will have a HitchcOCKTOBER fest next month. Maybe one of your favorites is playing here…

Everything I’ve ever wanted in an independent theater.
From the tall ceilings plastered in vintage posters, the lounge in the corner, the concessions, the theater set-​up and the staff, this ties as my favorite theater next to E Street Cinema. If you’re unsure of what film to see, the staff will guide you to the right choice based on your taste. Unless the person is two children stacked on top of each other with a top hat, the theater is set up so that you can see no matter where you are. You can grab a small bottle of wine, champagne, or a beer to sip on as you unwind later in the evening or come to an earlier showing during the week where they have a $ 6 coffee club, which gets you a coffee and a movie before noon.

Check out their $ 6 special!
Setting aside the awesome fact that this independent movie theater popped up next to a gelato factory in a warehouse, let’s talk about how every first showing of a movie is $ 6 and comes with free coffee.
Do I need to write more?

I saw Winter Sleep here and am happy that they played it, but I found the moving watching experience itself here to leave something to be desired. The air conditioning was incredibly loud and would repeatedly snap me out of scenes. For quiet, meditative films filled with scenes scored simply by diegetic sound (which Winter Sleep was), I imagine that the AC could wreak havoc.
Moreover, I found the seats to be quite uncomfortable, and with a lack of sloping in the seating (if there was sloping, it was imperceptibly small for the particular screen I was at), heads two/​three rows up can still impede your view.
It is nice that the theater is next to Union Market and the selection tends to be quality stuff, but given my prior experience here, if a film is available at any of the other excellent theaters in the area that don’t have AC noise issues, I’ll watch it there first.

Okay, first of all, kudos for them deciding to put up an Angelika in this fringe-​y neighborhood in the first place. It feels like you’re going to a movie theater that’s hiding out inside a warehouse. Because… it’s a movie theater that actually is in a warehouse.
This is a gift that both giveth and taketh away. It’s cool, it’s edgy, it’s odd — I can get behind all of that. It has a fun variety of staggeringly overpriced snacks (2 dogs with cheese, some nut crunch, small popcorn, small Diet Coke… $ 33). But I sort of expected that.
Two things I didn’t expect, though, both related to noise:
1. The sound of the projector was STUNNING. It threatened to overpower the dialog of what I was watching (the fantastic videotaped performance of Shakespeare’s «King John» from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival). I mean, it was REALLY, distractingly loud.
2. The thin walls. The really seemed to have used lowest common denominator materials for the build-​out to create this Angelika. I don’t know what the film playing next door was, but I can only assume it was about a family of angry tympani players. The sparkling, 400-​year old dialog I was trying to follow was constantly accompanied by a booming roar from the next salon.
It’s tricky to say whether these problems will keep me from returning. The thing about it is, if you’re a movie freak and culture vulture like me, you’re going to go where the programming that appeals to you is being offered. It’s not as if I had any other options of where to see «King John» anywhere near where I was staying in Washington.
But still, it makes it difficult to recommend the place, when you’ve got obnoxious and constant sound from behind you and to the right of you hampering your enjoyment of what you are watching.
How about investing in some sound-​proofing, Pop-​Up?

My friend and I went here as it was the only theater in DC playing «The Last 5 Years.» We had no idea what to expect but it was a great space. There was a ton of street parking in the evening, so no problem there. The lobby was large with a room of tables and chairs to hang out before your show. They also had a great concessions stand with a huge selection of wine, beer and other beverages. We didn’t try any food but they did have a decent selection of snacks – salty and sweet. The prices were decent as well and I’m much more likely to buy snacks here since it’s an independent theater and I know a lot of their profit comes from concessions, not ticket sales.

I am so glad this theater is in my neighborhood. I think it’s the new wave of theaters that should spread throughout the US. When you enter the theater, you are greeted by a large inviting lobby with seating and a bar. A BAR! You can order beer (and hard cider AND Honest Tea) with your popcorn.
The types of movies they show are only the good ones– more independent or Oscar nominated films so you know any choice you make is money well spent.
The theaters are a bit dingy (which is kind of cool), but keep in mind this is only a pop-​up theater. The full blown theater is being built now and will attach to Union Market.
Thank you NYC for bringing this to DC!

3.5 stars. Great movie selection, even though the availability is limited. Plus reserved seats! So no scrambling to find seats together when you get there 2 minutes before showtime.
They serve beer and wine, which is relatively reasonably priced considering you’re at a movie theater, in addition to the normal movie theater fare of popcorn, soda, and candy. And the proximity to Union Market makes it ideal for the casual and super cool «dinner and a movie.»
The only downside is that because it is a pop-​up all the seats are on the same level. There is no angle to the seating. So if you’re short (me) and you sit in the back, you will likely have someone’s head blocking the bottom part of the screen in places. It’s not terrible, you can certainly still see most of the screen, but is a little distracting, especially towards the beginning.
If you’re tall, you’d probably give this 4 – 5 stars and two thumbs up.

What could be better then grabbing a bite to eat at Union Market then walking over to the movies. This theater has a great selection of films and the theaters themselves are small and intimate. I just saw whiplash there and it was great! The snacks are very good too… what movie theater has caramel salted gelato and coconut water… this one does!
I deducted one star due to lack of stadium seating… still a very cool experience and a great place to see movies that don’t play on larger screens. Check it out.

Favorite place ever!!! Best popcorn, not too crowded, enough room in between seats, and great customer service. The beer is a bit pricey, but other than that, I love going here for my movies! I just discovered this place recently and I’ve gone twice in two weeks!

Great little pop-​up movie theatre in the Union Market zone. Clean and well-​organized. I did gasp a bit at my $ 8 bottle of beer but quickly got over that after i settled into my seat and enjoyed an interesting film with good company.

I just recently discovered this brand spanking new (?) theater in the Northeast section of DC.
LOTS of pros: matinée pricing even at 4:30 PM, reserved seating, comfy seats with lots of legroom and probably, BIG screen, it’s not crowded like other theaters, and best of all — FREE street parking on a Sunday (there’s also a free lot nearby). Finally, their popcorn was among the best in the area. They also have some gourmet beverages which are a little on the expensive side. No negatives about this theater…

I was pretty impressed. It is, as it says, a pop-​up or temporary facility, but the screen was a pretty decent size. Lacking stadium-​style seating, they’ve done the responsible thing and placed a relatively small number of chairs in the center of their space, ensuring that there are no bad seats as opposed to trying to stuff in more capacity. The sound was not great, and the projector was audible throughout the film, but on the whole, a reasonably pleasant viewing experience. The chairs are pretty sweet.
It also synergizes with Union Market. On your brief walk through the area, you’ll see working people at work, rich people loading gifts into their cars, hipsters talking about you know, whatever, and someone urinating on the side of a building. More to the point, you’ll have a dinner and a movie option at Union Market’s numerous eateries, or you can pop over to Dolcezza next door for something sweet.
The assigned seating at the theater is reasonably painless, and they have a respectable selection of films. A more permanent facility is supposedly in the works, and it would not surprise me at all if that ended up being fantastic. As it is, four stars, certainly good enough for a return visit. Also, word to the wise: the difference in light between indoors and outdoors is so huge you’re liable to blindly run into someone. Careful opening the door.

What this theater lacks in location and technology it more than makes up for in charm. I was there for the first time on Halloween for their spooky screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic PSYCHO, and had a truly wonderful experience. The staff was friendly, the seats comfortable, and the free catered snack bags extra delicious (wasabi popcorn? Who would’ve thought!)
Pros:
+ Close to Union Market, so nice if you want to go there for a drink afterwards
+ Fabulously comfortable seats
+ Spotlessly clean bathrooms. I hope I never need emergency medical attention, but if such a tragedy were to occur, I’d have no worries whatsoever about being operated on while lying on the floor of their ladies’ facilities. Truly.
+ Huge selection of beers, wines, and other adult beverages available at standard DC prices. If the movie is good, you can have a beer and relax. If it sucks, you can drink to forget. Win-​win.
+ Unique ambiance. Converted warehouse into an artsy movie theater? Why not?
+ Very friendly movie theater staffers. Pleasant and easy to deal with even when they’re fielding the same ridiculous questions over and over from eleventh-​thousand different people.
+ Diverse variety of films playing.
Cons:
— Somewhat far from the Metro; a slightly sketchy-​feeling trek after dark.
— The venue, though adorable and inventive, has inherent limitations. The sound quality is just shy of godawful, and the seating is flat rather than stadium-​style. Going to a subtitled foreign film and sitting in the front row may be your best bet.
Verdict: It’s not going to become my go-​to for blockbusters OR art house darlings, but I definitely enjoyed my experiences there. A really fun date-​night idea. Give it a try!

Summary: Good place for a slightly different date night, but costs can add up.
Pros:
*Dinner and drinks before the movie at Union Market (some places, like Bidwell, offer discounts if you show your movie ticket)
*Ample free parking at Union Market
*Good selection of indie movies
*Cool space with a cozy, but not cramped, cinema
*Buy movie tickets in advance and get reserved seating
Cons:
*Concessions are super expensive. One glass of red wine was $ 13.00. A beer was around $ 8.

I really, really wanted to give this place 4 stars, but I couldn’t…
The location is great — now you can turn your Union Market brunch into an even more fun afternoon. The selection of movies is also impeccable — they change often and some titles do not play anywhere else in the district. I do not care that much about the concession stand, so I did not notice if selection was particularly good, but there were a lot of things on the shelves. The seating area in the lobby was huge and nicely decorated and no one minded that we hang out there for about half an hour before the movie. Dolzecca next door — an extra plus if you crave something sweet before or after the show.
But please, please, please… do something about those projectors’ fans! The projectors as some people noted in other reviews are right in the theater, making really loud noise. all. the. time. Quite often during the movie I could not catch the end of a phrase or even entire dialogues — and you know this can kill any movie experience.

Wanted to see Snowpiercer, but the big movie theaters weren’t showing it, then I found out it was playing at the Angelika Pop-​up. I had no idea what to expect from a pop-​up movie theater. I guess I expected it to be patched together with some wheat paste and folding chairs, but this place is legit.
First, seats are reserved, so you don’t have to get there early to get a good seat. That is a huge plus.
The theater isn’t tiered, stadium-​style seating, which was kind of hard to get used to, but fortunately there wasn’t a super-​tall person in my sight line. The rows are spaced well apart from each other, and the seats are big and comfy. It was cold when we walked in, but it warmed up to a manageable temperature once all the seats were filled. I might bring a sweater next time, though.
You can get matinée tickets for $ 8, and they have captioning and assistive listening devices for deaf & hearing-​impaired patrons. The snacks are plentiful and pretty gourmet and pricey, but you can get a cup of coffee for $ 2, and it’s Intellegensia Coffee. They also offer several beers and a few wines. The place is next door to Dolcezza’s gelato factory & coffee lab, so you can stop there before or after the show for additional gourmet, expensive treats.
Even though this place is «at Union Market,» it is actually on the street behind Union Market. Don’t park at the main Union Market parking lot. Park on the street or in the satellite Union Market parking lot on 5^th & Penn NE. The closest Bikeshare station is at Gallaudet, but there is bike parking out front.
All in all, I really really like this place and will definitely come again. The space is really well done, and doesn’t feel like a non-​permanent «pop up» at all. I dig it.