Dutch Cinema Chain Pathé Hypnotises 30 Fans to Rewatch Films

Dutch cinema chain Pathé is running an experiment that asks 30 film fans to forget a favourite movie and watch it again as if for the first time. Called Pathé REWIND, the project will take place on 9 November 2026 at the Pathé Buitenhof cinema in The Hague.

The idea is to use hypnosis to temporarily wipe the participants’ memories of the film before the screening. The result is intended to test whether a familiar story can feel new again.

How the Experiment Works

Each of the 30 participants will have a private online session with hypnotherapist Victor Kraemer, who is described as having more than 30 years of experience in hypnosis. On the day of the screening, they will be hypnotised again just before the film begins.

Registration was free, and it closed on 29 October. The chain announced the project on 26 October, and applicants could choose from four candidate films.

The Four Candidate Films

Participants were offered a choice between four films. Each has a strong reputation and memorable twists or moments that viewers are likely to remember.

Film	Director	Genre	Why It Suits the Experiment
Interstellar	Christopher Nolan	Science fiction	Large-scale emotional and visual payoffs
The Matrix	The Wachowskis	Science fiction	A famous reveal about the nature of reality
La La Land	Damien Chazelle	Romance and musical	Musical numbers and a bittersweet ending
Se7en	David Fincher	Crime thriller	A shocking, much-discussed finale

Interstellar and The Matrix are science-fiction films, while La La Land blends romance and music and Se7en is known for its dark crime narrative.

Which Film Will Be Shown?

Pathé has not revealed which of the four films will be screened. Reports differ on how the choice will be made. Some say the film with the most interest will be picked, while others say the group will watch one film based on their preferences.

Because the choice is still unannounced, the article cannot say which film the 30 participants will watch.

Pathé’s Reasoning

Imke van Schaaijk, Pathé’s brand, PR and communications manager, said: “Who wouldn’t want to see their favorite film again for the very first time?” She said REWIND goes a step further than the chain’s classic re-releases.

Pathé already runs a Pathé Classics programme, which returns beloved films to cinemas. Recent titles in that programme have included Catch Me If You Can, Titanic, A Star Is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody and Birdman. REWIND takes the idea of revisiting films one step further by adding the hypnosis element.

Does Hypnosis Really Work?

Whether the hypnosis will succeed is an open question. Reports note that research into memory effects of hypnosis suggests they are limited and highly variable, and that claims about controlling memory need careful handling.

The experiment is therefore as much about generating conversation as about scientific results. Pathé has not published a method for measuring whether participants genuinely forget the films.

Why the Experiment Has Drawn Attention

The idea has spread widely online since it was announced, with fans debating which film they would most like to forget and rewatch. Some online commenters have said they would pick Interstellar or Se7en.