Groups of teenagers going to see A Minecraft Movie have divided opinion online due to the popular “chicken jockey” trend that sees some of them causing chaos in the cinema.
The phrase “chicken jockey” appears just before Garrett ‘The Garbage Man’ Garrison, played by Jason Momoa, fights a child zombie who’s riding a chicken; in other words, a “chicken jockey”.
Jack Black’s Steve then uses the phrase, at which point some teenage viewers descend into a frenzy, many throwing popcorn and drinks and shouting and yelling, disturbing the other attendees.
In response, some cinemas have set additional regulations, with the Township Theatre in New Jersey sharing that it’s now requiring children and teenagers to be accompanied by an adult for future showings.
The theatre wrote on social media (via NBC New York), “Large groups of unsupervised boys engaged in completely unacceptable behavior, including vandalism. We also received multiple complaints from other moviegoers who were trying to enjoy the film with their families.”
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HOURLY
shitpost (@hourly_shitpost) April 9, 2025
A cinema in the city of Wasilla in Alaska had to call the police, with a local police spokeswoman revealing that around 15 young people were involved in an incident. TikTok footage showed an officer saying, “The guys in the back that body-slammed an employee … all of you guys are not welcome here any more,” although no charges were filed.
In the UK, Cineworld has told fans that anyone taking part and disturbing others will be removed without a refund – though they are hosting screenings where shouting and screaming is permitted on Sunday (April 13) – while the REEL Cinema in Rochdale has, per Manchester Evening News, warned that it will be “increasing our monitoring of screens” and that “police will be called” if necessary.
Jared Hess, the movie’s director, has even acknowledged the trend, telling Entertainment Weekly that it’s been “bananas”, but he’s not alone in sharing his thoughts. Fans have been divided over the mayhem, with many speaking out against it but some defending the teens’ fun.
@YouTube pic.twitter.com/GJbZYDraxs
— k’
(@k1ragoat) April 6, 2025
One fan wrote: “Buying a huge bag of popcorn just so you can piss the cinema workers off when Jack Black says chicken jockey is frankly quite insane and rude and you are a bad person,” while another felt the joke had gone too far, writing: “The chicken jockey thing was funny when it was just everybody saying it in unison and just clapping but throwing food and drinks all around the fucking theater makes me think you were raised in a fucking barn.”
Filmmaker and writer Houston Coley shared one video on X (Twitter) and wrote alongside it: “I’d been trying to decide whether I thought the Minecraft Movie theater reactions were endearing, communal Gen Z fun or the death of culture, but this vid confirmed it for me: they’re the death of culture. we need to bring back playing outside, dude, movies weren’t meant for this.
buying a huge bag of popcorn just so you can piss the cinema workers off when jack black says chicken jockey is frankly quite insane and rude and you are a bad person https://t.co/fTHyCgH2wx
— nick (@lovechazelle) April 9, 2025
The chicken jockey thing was funny when it was just everybody saying it in unison and just clapping but throwing food and drinks all around the fucking theater makes me think you were raised in a fucking barn.
— katherine
(@toaster_rodeo) April 10, 2025
I’d been trying to decide whether I thought the Minecraft Movie theater reactions were endearing, communal Gen Z fun or the death of culture, but this vid confirmed it for me: they’re the death of culture. we need to bring back playing outside, dude, movies weren’t meant for this https://t.co/qHo2nHR8Xo
— Houston Coley (@artwithinpod) April 9, 2025
In response to one video that went viral on TikTok, complete with screaming and the sound of gunshots, some commenters called the scenes “embarrassing” and the guests “entitled”, but one person commented, “If you don’t like people screaming out of joy at the movies go watch it on your laptop.”
When one user pointed out that cinema staff would have had to tidy up after the showing, someone responded that they “signed up to clean” the mess left by guests and that they should “do your job”.
@exposed.cut.copper.slab bro who opened fire? ref DO something they’re sliming the whole audience
#fyp #foryou #foryoupage #exposedcutcopperslab #chickenjockey #minecraft #minecraftmovie #aminecraftmovie #minecraftmemes #minecraftmeme
Replying to a post of a sign from a cinema asking fans not to throw food and drink during the movie, one person on X wrote: “Movie theaters dying for money and resurgence and then react like this when they actually have to do their job . This movie is single-handedly bringing so many people back to movie theaters with an energy others haven’t been able to achieve since The Room (2003).”
Someone replied: “It’s not their jobs to be your mother. Fuck, people should be forced to work these shitty low paying jobs themselves as a requirement to graduate or something because y’all are gross,” before adding that other cinemagoers don’t want to deal with it either.
It’s not their jobs to be your mother. Fuck, people should be forced to work these shitty low paying jobs themselves as a requirement to graduate or something because y’all are gross.
Also, other theater goers don’t want to deal with that shit either
— Kentucky Objectivist (@KObjectivist) April 7, 2025
Despite popularity with moviegoers and an impressive box office showing of over $900million worldwide, the movie hasn’t found as much success with critics.
NME gave it a two-star review, writing: “Unfortunately, A Minecraft Movie feels more like an advert for the game rather than a celebration of what makes it great. There is just enough in the brisk 101-minute runtime to inspire newcomers to check out The Overworld for themselves but you’d think a film about the awesome power of creativity would be a bit more innovative.”
The post Film fans argue over ‘Minecraft’ cinema chaos: “If you don’t like people screaming out of joy at the movies go watch it on your laptop” appeared first on NME.
