Start with the film you actually want to see
Most social planning starts with people and works backwards. You ask who is free, negotiate a night, negotiate an area, negotiate what everyone wants to do, then discover the film you cared about is no longer showing at a useful time. Costar starts in the other direction.
Choose the real screening you would attend anyway. That means a film, a cinema and a time. If another compatible adult independently chooses the same screening, Costar can show each of you one profile and let both people decide privately whether to go together.
Why the exact screening matters
Saying two people both like cinema is not very informative. Saying both independently picked the same film at Picturehouse Central at 19:30 on Thursday is much more specific. It is a shared decision, not a generic interest.
The screening also removes a lot of first-meeting admin. There is already a public place, a start time and something to talk about afterwards. If either person is not interested in the introduction, the film still exists as a plan.
What happens on Costar
Create a free profile and choose the screenings you would genuinely go to. When an eligible person chooses the same exact performance, Costar can create one live proposal. Each person decides privately whether they would like to go together.
A mutual yes does not mean you have bought the cinema ticket. Each person buys their own cinema ticket separately. The £7 Costar fee is for the introduction, and contact details only unlock after the required mutual confirmation and payment steps.
You are not choosing between solo cinema and Costar
Going to the cinema alone is completely normal and often excellent. Costar is not designed to turn solo cinema into a problem. It adds another option for the nights when you would enjoy company.
If there is no suitable overlap, go to the film. If there is an overlap and both people want to meet, you have a simple reason to be in the same place at the same time.
Keep the first meeting small
Meet at the cinema or another clear public point inside it. Arrive early enough that neither person is rushing. Control your own travel and tell somebody you trust where you are going.
The screening does the heavy lifting. You do not need an elaborate pre-film date, a long chat thread or a second booking. You can decide after the credits whether you want to keep talking.