Becoming best friends with everyone in Stardew Valley can take quite a while, especially for more reclusive characters like the Wizard, Clint, and Kent. While there are more traditional ways to build friendships over time, the late-game addition of the movie theater makes it simple and easy to earn an entire heart at once. Inviting a guest to see a movie doesn't cost much, and it's a fun activity, though it unfortunately only becomes available after one of the biggest quests in the game has been completed.

Unlocking the movie theater is a very late-game goal in Stardew Valley, but for any player trying to reach perfection, it can be an invaluable tool. By inviting villagers to the movie theater, players can gain up to 250 friendship points in a single day — at the cost of over 2,000 gold.

The Movie Theater Is The Best Way To Rack Up Friendship Points

Two Tickets Cost 2,000 Gold, But Can Earn Almost An Entire Heart

Gaining hearts with villagers in Stardew Valley can take a long time, especially when you have to track down each and every character as they go about their days in Pelican Town to stop them for a chat or give a gift. While giving loved gifts to villagers twice a week or completing delivery quests from the bulletin board is generally the best way to quickly earn friendship points over time, the movie theater provides a compelling late-game alternative.

By inviting a villager guest along to see a movie, players can get 100 or 200 friendship points with only the cost of two tickets, which is almost a full heart of friendship. It is important to make sure that the movie playing in theaters is one that a villager will actually enjoy, as only loved movies will get 200 points. Liked films will earn 100 points, and thankfully, there's no way to lose friendship points if the villager happens to not like the film, but making sure to invite the right villagers to the right movies will get players more bang for their buck.

To get a few more friendship points from the trip to the movies, you can also buy a snack for your guest. Like the movies, the selection of snacks will either be liked, loved, or disliked by the villagers. Loved snacks will earn an additional 50 points, while liked ones will earn 25 points, so picking the right snack can make a single trip to the movies worth an entire friendship heart.

How To Invite Villagers To The Movies In Stardew Valley

Be Sure To Invite Villagers To Their Favorite Movie

Inviting the residents of Pelican Town to the movies is a simple process, as you just need to go to the theater to buy two tickets and gift one to your villager of choice. Make sure to give the ticket and enter the theater to see the movie on the same day, since that gift won't hold over for the next day. Once you've entered the theater, you can buy snacks for your guest, play the crane game to win seasonal prizes, and watch the movie.

The Dwarf loves every movie, which makes him an easy guest to please.

If the movie theater isn't yet unlocked, you'll need to finish some of the biggest tasks in Stardew Valley. The movie theater can only be unlocked after completing the Community Center and an additional hidden bundle. This bundle is located in Stardew Valley's derelict JojaMart, which can only be found after a cutscene on a rainy day shows lightning striking the building and opening its doors. This missing bundle includes a few difficult items to obtain, like a prismatic shard, gold void salmon, and caviar, which makes finishing it a time-consuming task.

Movies Are A Late Game Addition, But Great For Reaching Perfection

The Theater Is Difficult To Unlock, But Well Worth It

The movie theater does come very late in the game, which does slightly nerf its usefulness, as most players will likely have already earned plenty of hearts with every villager. Plus, unlocking the movie theater can be a slightly arduous quest since the final bundle includes so many rare items. However, since it's only available much later in the game, obtaining all the necessary items (except for the required prismatic shard) isn't as bad as it seems.

The best use for the movie theater at such a late stage in Stardew Valley is to reach full hearts with villagers that the player might not have interacted with much, like Kent, Clint, or the Wizard. For any player chasing perfection, getting to maximum friendship with every single villager can be one of the most annoying tasks. A few trips to the theater for loved and liked movies can radically speed up that process, however, which makes unlocking this Stardew Valley location and using it regularly worthwhile.