The Definitive Ranking Of Classic Movie Theatre Snacks

A visit to the movie theater is more than just about the movie — it's about the entire experience. I'm talking about the super plush, comfy chairs, the awkward shuffling as you try to make your way past the other moviegoers seated in your row, frustration when you hear someone chatting during the most important scene of the entire film, and, of course, the concessions. 

Movie theater concessions are overly priced but an obligatory pickup at the theater. While you can buy most of these concessions at a grocery store or gas station, often for much less than at the theater, sometimes the selections sitting in the florescent-lit cabinet just beckon to you like a sugary — or salty — beacon. They're not usually high-quality (though their prices might insinuate that), but they satisfy that craving to shovel something into your mouth as you watch your movie of choice. That being said, I doubt anyone is making a whole gastronomic and elaborate tasting experience out of their concessions order — except for me, today. 

In order to rank common movie theater concessions from worst to best, I narrowed down some of the most popular options, bought them, and tasted each one before ranking them from worst to best. The treats that ranked the highest were the most snackable and universally appealing, while the ones at the bottom are best left in the concessions case. 

Good & Plenty wins one award in this ranking — and it's not even a pity prize. It's the award for the most divisive candy. 

I am of the belief that this candy is gross, though I will admit it's not as repulsive as I remember it being when I was 10 — so, bright spot? The anise flavor is biting and sharp but not enough to send a rush of licorice flavor through your sinuses and up to your brain. It muddles the sweetness, which makes this a candy you can eat several pieces of — provided that you don't absolutely hate licorice. Even if you can stomach the flavor, you have to face the texture of this candy, which I liken to a wadded-up piece of chewing gum. It doesn't go down easy in any sense of the word. 

Were Sno-Caps ever a good candy? No comment. Seriously, I don't know how anyone can willingly eat these nonpareils-coated chocolate chips. I distinctly remember ordering these once from a movie theater when I was a kid — probably just to be different, in the same way I would order Moxie as my soda of choice. Now, the stale Styrofoam pellets that top the chocolates are nothing but repulsive to me. 

The one thing I will give this candy is that it's easy to throw back several handfuls of it, seeing as how the pieces are so small and mindless to eat. But if you're looking to satisfy your craving for something sweet — either in theaters or at home — these are far from the candy I would recommend. Unless, of course, you like eating chalky chocolate covered in gravel.

When I told one of my friends that I was doing this move theater snack ranking, his immediate reaction was to ask whether Bottle Caps would be on this list — he assured me they were the best candy option. Surely, I had forgotten about these candies, seeing as how I don't ever see people eating them outside of movie theaters. 

This quintessential theater find is, in short, a bad candy. Sorry for all of the folks out there who think eating chalk is fun, but these candies aren't it. Cola-flavored chalk isn't as appealing as a chocolate candy, nor does it surpass some of the fruity options on this list. I will give Bottle Caps some props though, as they aren't as dry in the mouth as Smarties. But they're so hard to chew that it's difficult to eat more than one at a time, which defeats the purpose of devouring a box of candy before the movie even starts.

I will admit that tasting many of these candies now, as an adult, has changed my perception of them. However, one candy that I can admit that I was in the right about this whole time is Milk Duds. 

These candies are seemingly simple — caramel with a chocolate coating. How hard can that be to mess up? Be warned. The caramel is not the soft stuff you'd find in a candy bar. It's like the old school caramel that's been toiling away on the stove for hours, so it immediately sticks to every molar in your mouth. It took me about a minute to get through a single Milk Dud — and part of the problem is that these candies are absolutely massive. 

The only way I could foresee someone ordering a box of these candies from the concession stand is if they like to suck on candy, rather than chew it. Otherwise, these are a skip. 

Don't get me wrong. I love cookie dough everything and will, unabashedly, eat cookie dough from the mixing bowl. And with these chocolate-coated cookie dough bites, I can fulfill my cookie dough craving without the risk of getting sick from eating non-heat-treated flour — theoretically. 

It's clear that these candies are not made with high-quality chocolate, as the only thing the chocolate coating does is contribute to their sugariness. They just feel like lumps of sugar when you bite into them, then you're hit with the buttery, gritty texture that's kinda-but-not-quite like cookie dough. It lacks that true flavor of cookie dough, and eating more than one or two at a time is a hassle.

I was excited when I saw that there were 20 pieces in a serving, but they're all about the size of an eraser cap. So while their size is conducive to mindless movie theater snacking, their overly saccharine flavor is not. 

It feels like it's been years since I've eaten Mike and Ike candy, and I've always felt that it's a when-in-Rome kind of sweet. In other words, I wouldn't normally buy it at the store, nor would I get it at the movie theater. These pill-shaped candies have the same texture as the gumdrops my grandmother used to keep on her living room coffee table — you know, the ones that are at least five years past their expiration date. While the fruit flavor is strong and punchy, the candies just stick in your gums and leave behind a gritty consistency.

I would give this candy a low score on Rotten Tomatoes, simply because it's not one you can shovel into your mouth while you watch a movie. They're a one-at-a-time candy — if you can even stomach eating them in the first place. 

Goobers are essentially the nutty version of Raisinets. Like Raisinets, you don't see them outside of movie theaters, and I kind of think it's because someone was ashamed that they created them. 

The peanuts inside of the chocolate taste musty, which stands in sharp contrast to the chunky peanut M&M's. They're supposedly dry-roasted, but they lack that crunch that dry-roasted nuts have. They are peanuty, though, just in an almost-rancid way. The chocolate itself isn't sweet, nor is it chocolatey; it just serves to shield the lackluster nuts from the light of day. While Goobers aren't as divisive as Mike and Ike, I think you would still be better off smuggling in your own snacks, like a jar of peanuts — or chocolate-covered almonds — instead. 

I can't say that I remember Buncha Crunch from when I was a kid, but I have downed my fair share of Crunch bars over the years — and these aren't much different. The pebble-sized candies are filled with crunchy rice pieces, which give them a satisfying, well, crunch that can't be said for other brands on this list. Another thing that makes them super snackable is their size, as it's easier to tilt the box up to your mouth than to try and pick up the individual pieces inside.

However, the chocolate and rice combo, not unlike the components of a classic Crunch bar, just isn't memorable. I don't finish the box feeling any more satiated or indulged than when I went in. As a result, I can't say why someone would see them at the concessions counter and pick them out specifically. 

Now, I will admit that I have an affinity for berry-flavored wax, which is why I am a big fan of Swedish Fish — the original kind, none of those nasty, flavored varieties. These candies get stuck in your molars as you eat them, and I think that's part of the appeal of this unique gummy candy. Unlike many of the lower-ranked candies on this list, you can eat fistful after fistful and not feel bad about it. 

There are two big drawbacks of Swedish Fish, though. The first is that they're quite one-note. You can't really escape that berry flavor (Swedish Fish are supposed to taste like lingonberries), and it becomes a little monotonous over time. It also doesn't help that these candies are massive, seeing as how one fish is an entire meal. Fruity candies also don't have the same mass appeal as other varieties. The candies I got were also quite hard and not soft and chewy, which may have been a fluke but still worth noting. 

I'm going to admit something that might get me canceled: I love Twizzlers, and they're my all-time favorite candy. Not only did I grow up eating them, but they're also my horse's favorite snack. So, there's some sentimental value attached to them. I like the strawberry flavor (despite the fact that I don't like strawberry-flavored things as a whole), and their rope shape makes eating them all the more fun. If liking them is wrong, I don't want to be right. 

But do I think they have universal appeal? Not at all. They're chewy and stick in your molars like Swedish Fish, though they seem to be less gummy, which makes them easier to eat. I don't tire from them like I do other candies — including some of the ones I ranked higher than my beloved Twizzlers. The main reason why they ranked relatively low is because they're less of a mindless eat than some of the other candies I tried. You can't just tilt the plastic package up to your lips and eat the whole pack at once. Not everyone is a strawberry fan either, so they lack universal appeal. 

I grew up with Raisinets, so I don't hate them at all, but I can see people already bringing out the pitchforks after seeing that I gave this chocolate-coated dried fruit candy a middle spot in this ranking. Aside from the fact that not all the candies are the same size, and some are fruitier than others, they really are an innocuous candy that you don't have to think too much about. The subtle fruit is a good match to the average-quality chocolate, and nothing really resonates too long on your palate. 

If you're tuning in to an exciting film, you may want them as a mindless snack to shovel into your mouth. But for folks who like to eat with intent, this is one candy best left at the concession stand. 

M&M's walk a thin line between being a normal candy and a movie theater candy. But since they come in a movie theater box, I gave them a spot on this list. 

That being said, I've never seen someone order M&M's at a movie theater. They aren't very exciting or fun — it's just chocolate in a candy coating after all, and not very high-quality chocolate at that. Though, the one thing that M&M's have going for them is their snackability. It's kind of hard to eat a single M&M's (would that be an M?). You feel compelled to eat handful after handful. And you can always sprinkle them on your popcorn for a sweet-and-savory treat. Exciting they are not, but their reliability earns them an honorable mention on this list. 

Getting warmer ... getting warmer ... Okay, I will say that there are marginal differences between the peanut M&M's and the ever-so-slightly lower-ranked original M&M's. These candies have a nutty morsel in the center, which really gives them a bit more clout than the plain version. The nutty addition makes these candies more exciting, and the peanut's richness helps cut through the sugary-sweet candy filing. 

However, adding nuts doesn't inherently make this candy more snackable. It just adds some extra obstacles and draws your attention to the fact that not all of the peanut M&M's are the same size. I can't easily down a box of these like I would the regular M&M's, but I still think that they're more satisfying all-around, which earned them a higher spot on the list.

I used to vehemently despise Whoppers — so much so that I would have a meltdown if they landed in my Halloween trick-or-treat bag as a kid. But, after giving them a second shot all these years later, I can confidently say that I've been in the wrong about them.

The chocolate coating on the outside of the candy isn't necessarily good or high-quality, but it does work to complement the crunchy, almost dry texture of the malt shell underneath. There is a satisfying crunch you get when you bite into one that just doesn't happen with the other candies on this list. However, in terms of movie theater suitability, I kind of wish they were smaller — half the size would have sufficed. That way, I could shovel popcorn into my mouth with one hand and malted milk balls with the other. 

I'll admit that I had a "Wait, is my frontal lobe developed?" moment when I took a bite of these Junior Mints and didn't absolutely hate them. Like many other candies on this list, Junior Mints and I have never seen eye-to-eye — until now. 

These candies are, dare I say, refreshing? When you take a whole one in your mouth, you'll find each taste bud coated with a minty, almost milky coating that's bursting with high-quality chocolate notes. Now, I have no doubt that the chocolate used on these candies is about the same caliber as the other brands on this list (it's movie theater candy, after all), but something about it just feels luxe. I could eat a single mint, or five, or the whole box, and feel the same way about this candy, which is a far better outcome than the overly cloying candies I sampled. Mint isn't everyone's cup of tea, so I couldn't put it at the top of this list, but even I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this offering — who would have thought? 

The only reason that I could foresee someone disliking Reese's Pieces is if they were too far of a jump from the classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (or they had a peanut allergy, obviously). Like M&M's, you can't just eat one of them — you feel compelled to eat and eat, until the movie isn't even 10 minutes in and you're already out of candy. 

Reese's Pieces satisfy that itch for something sweet and something savory, which can't be said for other items on this list. They're easy to eat and highly snackable, though they lack the same timeless appeal as my top-ranked movie theater snack.

Why would you go to a movie theater and not get popcorn? It seems like an obligatory grab, along with an overly syrupy soda — so much so that I build it into my movie-going budget if there's a film I want to see. I don't think there's too much difference between the pop-it-yourself movie theater popcorn you can pick up from the grocery store and the grossly overpriced one you get from the concessions stand. However, you do get the added experience of standing in front of the pump of fake butter and telling the attendant to add more — not unlike how you would speak to the waiter grating cheese onto your Olive Garden pasta.

Popcorn is universally hard to dislike, which earns it the highest position in this ranking. While you can be divisive about candy preferences, you can't deny that the handfuls upon handfuls of popcorn are just good for the soul. It's ungodly salty and greasy and makes you feel awful after eating it — that's just showbiz, baby. 

While many of these selections, particularly the candies, are ones that you could buy from a grocery store or a convenience store, there's something very important that sets them apart from the ones you get at the theater. Movie theater snacks are designed to be enjoyed mindlessly — they keep your hands occupied while your eyes are glued to whatever action flick or rom-com is gracing the screen. Their flavors are not necessarily high-quality, but they do scratch the itch for an occasional, indulgent treat. 

As such, I ranked items on this list high if they were super snackable — meaning that their flavors were tamped down enough to prime them for mindless consumption. Their texture and size also had to be conducive to shoveling into your mouth. Candies that had a more unique flavor that was not as approachable to all (or most) movie-goers, such as licorice, ranked lower than universal favorites. It's also important to note that this list is not exhaustive, as some theaters carry cooked foods, like nachos, pizza, and pretzels, in addition to the snacks included on this list; I just selected the options that were most widely available.