Sound Cinema: Oak Harbor Cinemas

The Oak Harbor Cinemas is unlike many of the other exhibition spaces covered here in Sound Cinema. For one it is located on Whidbey Island which is in Puget Sound just west of Anacortes. Oak Harbor is Whidbey Island's largest incorporated city and where most islanders see more mainland influence with national chains spread amongst the small businesses.

You can get to Oak Harbor over land through a couple of bridges that take you through Deception Pass State Park; or, if you want less driving from Seattle, there is a pleasant ferry ride from Mukilteo that drops you off on the south side of Whidbey in a town called Clinton. From there you can drive a more scenic route north through the island into Oak Harbor.

Another reason Oak Harbor Cinemas stands out is that it is the youngest theater I have so far covered. In 1981 John Solin opened the theater and operated it into the 1990s. Until 2019, Oak Harbor Cinemas was operated by Far and Away Entertainment, a local exhibition space chain. That's when Solin and partner Michel Gahad took over. In April of 2025, Oak Harbor Cinemas was sold by Solin and Gahad to city council member and entrepreneur Bryan Stucky and Carrie Stucky, also a local politician and spouse of Bryan.

It is certainly a unique space and a bit off the beaten path. What Oak Harbor Cinemas really has going for it is its price, especially as the theater focuses on new releases with at least one new film every week. In a world where a movie date can run you $50 with snacks and seats, Oak Harbor Cinemas offers you at least a seat for $8 at any show with shows running multiple times a day Tuesday through Sunday. There is also an option to upgrade your seat to something familiar to suburban multiplex goers—a reclining, rocker seat for $15.

Sign for Oak Harbor Cinemas with marquees

The Evergreen Echo

When walking up to the theater, it feels like any store front you would find in a city. The lobby is wide and the concession stand and tickets are right in front. The theatrical spaces are to either side. Oak Harbor Cinemas is a triplex, with theaters 1 and 2 having a couple of rows of rocker seats and theater 3 filled with rocker seats. Though I chose a standard seat, it was quite comfortable, and unlike some seats that lean back, there was a fair amount of pressure you had to exert to get the seat to move. That is a good thing as you do not want to be knocked backward at the wrong moment and spill Raisinets everywhere. There is plenty of leg room as well, but because the seats are so high-backed, slouching is not recommended as you might get a bit of the seat in front of you in your line of vision.

I recently took in a show of Caught Stealing at Oak Harbor. The film is about Hank (Austin Butler), a California country boy trying to make his way on the mean streets of late '90s New York City and running afoul of some criminal elements. This is the latest feature from Darren Aronofsky and it is more than palatable because it doesn't rely on Aronofsky's penchant for bodily horror and fantastical elements. There is a fair amount of violence as the gang figures and drug dealers pull no punches, but the humor within more than makes up for a gross-out gun battle or two. The lead is charming and there's a wonderful cat companion to watch and admire as the action commences.

Community arts spaces are a necessary component of any city's life. While this particular space is not in the cultural hub of the community, it serves to give those that want it an opportunity to engage in the broader film culture of new releases. Yet, there is some tension with where the theater is located and what has been installed next door.

Oak Harbor faces the same issues of food insecurity as many cities on the mainland. One place in the city that has attempted to combat the stigma of income insecurity, food insecurity, and being unhoused is the SPiN Cafe. The cafe caters to those in need of help and provides resources, food, and a temporary place to be off the streets. People in the community have decried SPiN's placement in the retail corridor as inviting an unwanted element to mix in the parking lots of the retail giants and small businesses that surround the cafe. It has raised questions of safety and security for business patrons and owners alike. Maybe it is because I come from a bigger city, but the cafe and those who chose to engage with the facility were overall unthreatening, if a bit of a wary sight.

Oak Harbor Cinemas is a well maintained and curated space. The price is just right and the seats are comfortable enough to let you shut out the world for a few hours at a time. It is not even close to the fanciest of spaces, but it does what a movie theater should. Oak Harbor Cinemas facilitates the magic of the movies on a little island in the midst of Puget Sound.