I went cinema-hopping in JB. Here's what I learnt

Yes, tickets are cheaper, but that is true for most consumer goods and services there. Quality matters as well.

- John Lui Senior Film Correspondent

JOHOR BAHRU - After years of hearing about the better value, I went to watch movies in Johor Bahru (JB) for the first time on Sept 17, a Wednesday afternoon, between noon and 5pm.

I visited three cinemas within a 30-minute Grab ride from the JB Sentral Bus Terminal: GSC at KSL City Mall; GSC at The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey (with its luxury Aurum Theatre option); and TGV Cinemas at Toppen Shopping Centre, a family-centric mall with a free playroom for kids.

1. Lower ticket prices, higher quality seating

At GSC KSL City Mall, I paid RM12 (S$3.60) for a standard weekday afternoon ticket. The seats were wide leatherette recliners with generous legroom that felt premium-class, by Singapore standards.

The screen was small — about the size of a typical one from a Singapore neighbourhood cinema — but bright and sharp. The sound was crisp, the hall spotless and the seats roomy. This was the baseline offering.

On peak days from Thursdays to Sundays, standard tickets cost RM19 - still considerably lower than Singapore’s peak-period $16 for standard halls.

Sitting there, watching horror movie The Conjuring: Last Rites, I thought of Golden Village Bedok, the cinema closest to me, and its narrow, cramped seats.

2. Singaporeans are already here

The friendly general manager of GSC at The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey said that Mandarin and Cantonese movies were hits with Singaporean moviegoers, who made up 30 per cent of the audience on weekends, and slightly less on weekdays.