AMC's 'Wicked' Drinks with Neon Ice Cubes Aren't It, Fans Say They Kill the Vibe

You know what’s worse than someone belting out Defying Gravity during the Wicked movie? Flashing neon ice cubes ruining the vibe in a pitch-dark theater. Yep, it’s happening.

According to TikToker @neon_m, who goes by Matthew on the platform, some theatergoers, himself included, are dealing with Wicked-themed drinks featuring flashing neon ice cubes. Because why wouldn’t that be a good idea in a dark theater (said no one)?

Here’s what we know about the icy distraction, and more importantly, how to stop it (yes, we’ve uncovered the secret to turning off those flashy ice cubes).

AMC Theatres seems to be aiming for a more immersive experience during the film adaptation of the Wicked musical by offering drinks with color-changing ice cubes. We’ll admit, the photos and descriptions are pretty enticing. See down below for yourself.

According to AMC, the pink drink, Pink Popular, features sweet watermelon and coconut flavors, while the green drink, Gravity Green, delivers a sour apple citrus twist. Oh, and to make it even brighter, each drink comes with a glowing straw.

Sounds fun, right? But when TikToker @neon_m described the drinks in action during a dark theater showing, the experience took a cringe-worthy turn.

Matthew kicks things off with, "Do you know what I'm not holding space for?" (We see what you did there, Matthew.) He then dives into his less-than-favorable experience while watching Wicked: "We went to see Wicked last night, and it was incredible. It was amazing. The hype is real." (Good to know, thanks for the glowing review!)

Before digressing too far into his thoughts on the film's rating, he quickly pivots back to the story. "We go see it, but the AMC we were at was selling these themed Wicked drinks, and the people sitting next to us got them. They have these glowing, flashing ice cubes inside the drink."

Anticipating what you might be thinking, he adds, "You’re probably assuming it’s just a little twinkly light, it’s no big..." But he swiftly shuts that down. "No," he emphasizes, "they were bright." How bright, you ask? According to Matthew, we’re talking police car lights tailing you at night bright. Definitely not the immersive movie experience anyone signed up for, right? Let’s be honest, bright lights and pitch darkness just don’t mix, no matter the setting.

He then jumps into a reenactment of the experience, mimicking himself sitting in the dark with blue and red lights flashing around him. Safe to say, it’s not exactly the ideal movie theater experience. While some moviegoers were considerate enough to try and hide the flashing ice cubes under their jackets, others just let them shine for the world (and Matthew) to see.

While it's unfortunate that Matthew and others, like TikToker Nam (@hyuckmeup), were "victimized" by these drinks, his post revealed how to turn off the flashing ice cubes, ensuring no one else is "harmed" during their Wicked experience.

The comment section of Matthew's video revealed that plenty of others had similar experiences, or were horrified when they realized they were the ones with the flashing lights interrupting the movie. But it may have also provided a solution.

According to @catherine_claire, the trick is simple: "Take them out of the drink. When it's dry, it stops." Is it foolproof? Maybe not, as one person mentioned they put the ice cubes in their purse, only for them to take six hours (after the movie concluded) to turn off.

But hey, it's worth a shot. Or, better yet, maybe just skip the neon ice cubes entirely while watching a movie at the theater.