One of the first films to be shown in Saudi Arabia after a 35-year ban was The Emoji Movie

As we previously reported, Saudi Arabia has now lifted its decades-long ban on cinemas and has begun to ease restrictions what films can be shown inside the country.

The move, which has been hailed as a progressive step for the conservative kingdom, saw a number of makeshift cinemas open up before purpose-built cinemas are due to be constructed. According to a report by Reuters, the first films to be shown were children's films which have been censored to ensure they meet the stringent moral standards.

Going by the report, the first film to be screened was The Emoji Movie - which has a Metacritic rating of just 12% and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 9%, and we scored at 1 out of a possible 5.

Yes, really. You can read the full report here.

Via Reuters