Where to find cheap movie tickets in Chicago

Looking for a great deal on the latest arthouse releases, foreign films, documentaries and screenings of classic movies? The Music Box Theatre offers $8 matinee pricing for 11:30am screenings on Saturdays and Sundays, plus $9 tickets for the first screening of the day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. And if you're a Music Box Member ($60/year), you'll always get discounted admission (usually $8) to nearly every screening at the Southport theater.

Anchoring the top floors of a (now mostly-vacant) mall for more than two decades, the Landmark Century Centre Cinema has always been a great place to see blockbusters alongside interesting indie films. You can score a deal on a ticket every Tuesday, when all screenings are just $7.

Named in honor of the late Chicago film critic, this small theater in the Loop offers $8 matinee tickets to every screening before 6pm on Fridays. If you're looking for year-round savings, becoming a Gene Siskel Film Center member ($50/year) allows you to purchase a $6 ticket to any screening.

One of the last true bargain theaters left standing in Chicago, this Rogers Park institution has been screening films for Loyola University students (and thrifty movie lovers) for decades. Whether you show up for a mid-afternoon screening or an evening showing, all tickets are just $8.50.

Founded in 1940, the University of Chicago's single-screen Doc Films theater is on record as the longest continuously running student film society in the country. Naturally, the prices for its various weekly screenings are student-friendly—and you don't have to be enrolled to see a movie. All tickets are $7 (cash only, if you're buying in-person) and you can get a quarterly membership for $35, granting you admission to all films during a 10-week period.

While Chicago has multiple art house theaters, Facets is the place to go to find the obscure indies that won't screen anywhere else in the city. Members of this theater ($100/year, $10/month) gain access to $9 tickets for any in-person screening.

Once a bargain theater that screened second-run movies, the ticket prices at the Logan Theatre have inched up ever since it was renovated in 2012. You can still save some money on matinee screenings before 4pm, which will only run you $9.

The Davis Theater is another former bargain movie house that has increased its prices after a recent renovation. Much like the Logan Theater, it still offers a discount on matinee screenings, charging $9 for a ticket to any showing before 6pm.

Run by the same folks behind the New 400 Theater, this Hyde Park movie house also offers student-friendly pricing. Tickets are always $8.50 and you can see any movie for just $5 on Wednesdays.

Like most chain theaters, AMC Theaters' weekly ticket discounts are not tied to its rewards program. You'll need to sign up for a free AMC Stubs Insider account to get access to discounted tickets every Tuesday—prices vary at each AMC Theater location, but you'll typically be able to get tickets for around 50 percent off, which is usually cheaper than $10.

You'll need to be a member of the Regal Royal Crown Club (free to join) to score discounted tickets on Tuesdays at Regal Theatres. At Regal's two remaining Chicago theaters (Regal City North and Regal Webster Place), discounted Tuesday tickets are $5.90.