A Shot-By-Shot Analysis of Nicole Kidman's AMC Commercial 

Great video essay on an underrated cult classic. Honestly, this commercial is what made me realize movies can be good

wow this is exactly what i needed today! i was thinking “i need a shot-by-shot analysis of Nicole Kidman’s AMC commercial”

why the fuck do they play an amc ad INSIDE the amc theaters when we're about to watch a movie at amc

I live about 10 mins away from where they shot this commercial. Every time me and friends go over there, we feel like Nicole Kidman. Nicole Kidman is inside us. We feel her presence. We hear her presence. We see her presence. Every time she says, “We make movies better,” I get goosebumps. Never has a quote inspired me in so many ways. It has changed the way how I live. Nicole Kidman made me realize the power of cinema. Thank you, Nicole Kidman. God bless cinema!

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny, it’s one of the most adverts of all time.

Nicole Kidman was interested in movie theaters from a very young age

i love that even when I get home from being forced to watch Nicole Kidman's amc commercial at my local amc, i am also forced to watch it on youtube. thank god

As a film student, I can confirm, this is how we over analyze our peers shorts for a grade, especially when they aren’t particularly the greatest, love it😂

You missed an important part of this. When she says, "And we go somewhere we've never gone before", it shows a shot of Jurassic World, a reboot of a movie already released. I think it's a commentary of how people keep accepting the same movie over and over again and think it is something original. Bravo, Kidman!

Nicole deserves the Academy Award for Best Actress for this film. I was absolutely blown away by her ability to carry such a complex narrative in a highly confined duration of time.

I went to a 8:45pm screening of the Nicole Kidman AMC Ad and then afterward there was this random 2.5 hour long video of Jude Law and Eddie Redmayne as wizards or something. I should’ve just left after Kidman was off screen

Thinking about the Letterboxd Multiverse of Madness Review that was like "everyone was more excited for the Nicole Kidman AMC ad than the actual film"

Love how her outfits reflect her inner growth. The movie starts with her in the rain wearing a hood, hiding from the world, only to end with her rocking that power shoulder, telling the world and the audience that she's unstoppable.

how can we get nicole kidman an oscar for her performance in the amc ad?

Seeing this advert before the Northman was a fucking trip.

Kidman’s outfit is also a subtle reference to movies, that shouldn’t go unnoticed. She has a stylish silver striped pantsuit, which when considering the silver halide crystals used in the exposure of film was an inspired choice of costume. Much like the film being exposed to light, Nicole Kidman’s true feelings of cinema are being exposed.

I was one of the college interns who helped design this short film. I can’t believe your analysis was spot on! We put a lot of time and effort into it!

I live in the UK and for about a year they have been running this ad before showings odeon cinemas (adapted for to be an odeon ad not amc), but it has bugged me that the cinema itself looks nothing like any odeon cinema that I've ever been in. The fact they have clearly just repurposed this ad explains it and is low-key hilarious

This is both a commentary on the goofiness of the commercial and the goofiness of film interpretations, I love it.

I am left astounded. This is like being so bored you do an ultimate shitpost instead

Finally an appreciation for Nicole Kidman's AMC Commercial couldn't be any happier

i just wanna log this commercial into letterboxd so i can rate it 5 stars

"Freshman in film school analyzes a commercial for the class"

I love that whenever a movie is about to start, I have to tell my friends "hold on, we need to watch a mini-movie about how being at the movies is magic".

This has become an inside joke with my friends everytime we go see a movie we cheer when it comes on and say each line

Been waiting for this one

We've crossed over into a neo-reality that we'll never come back from, and I feel fine. This is hilarious.

I know it's a joke but as person that is appreciating movies more and more I love this kind of analysis

Next you need to analyse the UK version, puts a unique spin whilst paying homage to the original, a true remake of the modern age

This is one of the analysis's I've ever seen.

The end reveals that our vision is shattered from an attempt to read Kidman's mind, by breaking the fourth wall, she came to read ours. We were the cinema all along...

I love how he says "that is my analysis of AMC ad Nicole Kidman." Like he's become what the google search algorithm wants from him; to reduce his work down to easily-queried, grammar-free keywords.

Seeing this ad has become an integral part of the moviegoing experience

The problem with this analysis is that it is actually well done. I do not like film analysis. Advertisements or any other audiovisual medium can get analyzed as if they were cinematic masterpieces, just like Karsten did in this video.

Imagine this is exactly what the person who made this was thinking.

I can't even be mad that I had such a cinematic masterpiece spoiled. Thank you

In all seriousness, this video makes a big blow to all video essays on YT. Just because you can talk and pull a message from a movie doesn't mean said movie conveys its messages well enough to be considered good, and just because a movie is considered "good" doesn't mean it's entertaining altogether. Well done.

the delivery at 6:00. incredible

It’s a special treat to visit the AMC Porter Ranch theater this was filmed so that Nicole Kidman can introduce herself and her own maniacal performance in The Northman.

“We go somewhere we’ve never been before” *Cuts to a movie remake of something we’ve seen before.

What crazy about this, is that, as an Australian actor (and celebrated at that), she is hoisted to this cinematic masterpiece, an enigma in sepo land (Australian slang for the states). Ms Womenchild is not mentioned in the cinema chains in Australia (Hoyts, Event, [IMAX {the worlds largest IMAX that has been closed for millennia]}. She is an icon here but as a country, like most of our exports, we can’t afford her.

First time I saw this in theaters, the whole theater laughed. Second time I went “because here, they are” was quoted by everyone.

ok but the video where someone photoshopped lady gaga getting railed over the screen while Nicole smiles with glee is much better😀

Bro idk why but this was absolutely hilarious for me. Every time it comes on I always find it so hilarious by how its portrayed as if its a life-changing experience or its about love or family; Car commercial type deal. Or that one that feels like your entering hyperspace with the coke looking so refreshing or something.

The best thing is that this is a valid interpretation.

I envy Karsten for being able to put so much effort into something like this.

England has this replica advert but they edited it to replace the "AMC" with the "Odeon" logo *our main cinema*

Heartbreak feels good with videos like this

This is hilarious and so good. Thank you for making me giggle

This was filmed at my local AMC

I never realized I needed this video till now…especially when AMC STAYS playing this

Martin Scorsese once said "this is cinema and it will never be topped again" and I can see why.

We needed this. All Of Us.

I laugh everytime I see this ad when she says “and we go somewhere we’ve never been before” and then it shows her watching Jurassic World which is a movie we have already seen 5 times and soon to be 6 this summer. One time they played the ad instead of showing her watch Jurassic World they corrected their mistake by have her watch Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Definitely an original film, good fix guys

FINALLY someone's talking about it, I honestly thought no one else knew about one of the movie theater ads ever made. Glad to see at least someone enjoys very obscure content like me!

“It really puts you in the perspective of a movie” I’m not sure why this line fucking killed me

KARSTEN NAILING THE VIDEO ESSAYIST/FILM ANALYST INTONATION SO ACCURATELY LMAOO

I feel like the whole bit about the theater being empty is also a nod to the dying desire for a true movie theater experience since COVID saw the rise in streaming platforms

Not to be dramatic, but the world needs this video

I hope she watches this video, she'd be delighted to know the depth of that commercial

I went to see a movie yesterday and my friend and I both agreed her monolog was almost villainous

This is hilarious. Never noticed the lack of continuity with the soda before because Nicole is so mesmerizing. Thank you for this important public service, Karsten! 😄

I love the irony that a video about an Ad begins with an Ad

3:22 might just be the peak of film analysis

I actually was out for dinner when they were shooting this commercial. It was at this new AMC in my neighborhood and the entire building was surrounded by a huge fence, it was hard for me to get to the restaurant I wanted to eat at because of it.

This made my day. I've seen this ad in theaters too many times this year already

Truly a masterpiece. Heartbreak never felt so good.

honestly as a 400 year old cryptkeeper with only a shriveled up skull, i've been mourning the loss of quality cinema for centuries but this video really helped me realize that cinema in this age can be good, thanks karsten

This might just be Karsten's The Shining or Synecdoche.

fun fact: we have the exact same ad here in the uk before odeon cinema films, they just switch out the words & switch out that shot of the amc exterior for one of an odeon’s hahah

He didn't give us what we wanted, but what we needed.

a video essay no one wanted, but the video essay we needed

Why wasn't this the April fool's video

They could make numerous variations of this featuring different directors.

Today is my birthday and this is exactly the gift I wanted Thanks Karsten

You mad GENIUS!! I could not believe the thumbnail…you actually did it.

This is truly a video I have seen, thank you Karsten.

This is exactly what I needed today. I just went to an AMC theater for the first time today, watched this commercial before the movie started, and thought to myself, I need Karsten to analyze this commercial shot-by-shot.

Such an impeccable and deep dissection of a gripping horror dealing with death, crossing over, the afterlife and sheer brutality of existence! Brilliant observations, including the nod to Twin Peaks most of us failed to recognize. Bravo!

Thank you for this! I always had trouble understanding this thing

You're either 315 days too early or 50 days too late for this one.

This is the perfect birthday gift. Thank you Karsten

This is the moment Heisenberg became Nicole Kidman.

You should do an analysis of that Matt Damon crypto ad that I’ve seen at every movie lately

I viewing this as a metacommentary about review culture. Nice work.

just watched jurassic world dominion, and nicole kidmans AMC commercial was the best thing i watched that night…i should’ve just left after the ad ended

Going to theater IS like climbing mountain. This is so deep

This was fascinating to me as I was only familiar with the UK Odeon version of this ad which is slightly different (such as replacing the AMC logo with the Odeon logo) and is about half as long. I personally think this is related to the current trend of multiverse films such as 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once' and 'Doctor Strange 2'. The two ads present the different audiences with alternate versions of the same sequence that may seem extremely similar at first but seem more and more different the more familiar you are with them. I believe these are representing the same experience of Nicole Kidman visiting an empty theatre to watch a collection of random clips from popular recent family friendly movies but taking place in two alternate universes. These two ads are sending the message that even if people are countries apart or even universes apart, we all share the experience of sitting in a theatre and enjoying a movie. Definitely the greatest ads ever made and I hope Nicole Kidman gets the Oscar for this.

this made my day, thank youuuu so muuuch

At 0:33 there is no cup when she sits down, but one appears in the next shot @ 0:34.. I love it when I get the auditorium to myself. It happened to me for The Lego Movie 2 in 3d, The Invisible Man, and Emma. I wonder what the next ad will be like and if she knows about the haters of her ad. I've never seen this play at an AMC so far. I love that the audience applauds it whenever it plays

Best RU-vid video that I've seen in a long time

I was going to write some meme to match the video. But all I want to say is I will never see this ad the same again. Thanks. I go to AMC often, and now I'll be thinking of your breakdown whenever I see this ad. I will never not notice the magic of the cup and how Nicole Kidman probably wants to beat someone up. Thanks Karsten, 13/10 analysis for a 15/10 film.

thank u karsten, i needed this😔

The RU-vid ad for this video better that fucking AMC commercial.

A genius interpretation. This is the next Roger Ebert in the making.

Heartbreak feels good in a place like this

I want AMC to run the Nicole Kidman ad for the next decade

I've never seen anyone understand the director's vision as beautifully as you. As fully as you. You should be proud of this, of yourself. And of all the other, sub-par films that prepared you for this masterpiece.

Let's be real, this commercial is a response to the pandemic.

They play this ad in Sweden with digitally altered logos. I was wondering why the interior doesn't look like a single swedish movie theatre ive ever been to