Imagine watching The Matrix again without knowing what you’re about to see. Or seeing Se7en without remembering what’s inside the box. How about experiencing the ending of La La Land with no clue how it all turns out.
A Dutch cinema chain is planning an experiment to see whether hypnosis can help make that possible.
Pathé has announced Pathé REWIND, a special event scheduled for November 9, 2026, at its Pathé Buitenhof theater in The Hague, Netherlands. The cinema chain is working with hypnotist Victor Kraemer to see whether 30 selected movie fans can temporarily forget a favorite film and experience watching it again with something closer to the surprise of a first viewing.
The experiment will involve two hypnosis sessions. Participants will first take part in a private online session with Kraemer before meeting at the theater for another induction immediately before the screening. The group will then watch one movie selected according to the participants’ preferences.
Pathé has offered four possibilities: The Matrix, Se7en, La La Land, and Interstellar. Only one will be chosen for the group screening, so the experiment won’t involve 30 people each watching a different favorite. The goal is to see whether the participants can approach the selected movie without anticipating its major story developments.
Kraemer has more than 30 years of experience as a hypnotherapist, according to Pathé’s announcement. The cinema chain is presenting REWIND as an experiment, however, not a guaranteed way to erase memories. Pathé says it wants to discover whether hypnosis can change the experience of watching a familiar film and plans to share the results after the event.
“Who wouldn’t want to see their favorite film again for the very first time?” said Imke van Schaaijk, Pathé’s Manager of Brand, PR and Communications.
It’s a question plenty of movie fans have probably asked themselves after discovering a favorite twist or perfectly timed cinematic moment. Unfortunately, knowing what happens makes it difficult to recreate that original experience, no matter how many times you revisit the movie.
Pathé REWIND is attempting to get around that problem, at least temporarily. The participants will be watching a film they already know, but the experiment will test whether hypnosis can affect their recollection enough to make familiar scenes feel unexpected again. Whether that actually happens is what Pathé hopes to find out.
The four movie choices offer very different kinds of first-time viewing experiences. The Matrix has the revelation of the world Neo has been living in, while Se7en is built around one of the most infamous final acts in thriller history. Interstellar takes viewers through a story packed with revelations about time and space, and La La Land delivers an emotional journey whose ending is difficult to forget.
Applications for Pathé REWIND closed on October 29, with participation offered free to those selected. The 30 chosen film enthusiasts will take part in the November 9 event at Pathé Buitenhof. The company has not yet shared exactly when the results will be published.
For now, Pathé is asking a question that sounds like a fantasy for anyone who loves movies: could you watch your favorite film again without remembering how it ends? If the experiment works as hoped, a few lucky moviegoers may get to find out what that feels like. Maybe it will then spread to other theaters around the globe. Heck, this could be bigger than 3D. But I doubt it.
