Should You Watch 'The Odyssey' In IMAX?
I'll admit that as critics, we sometimes sound elitist when we talk about theatrical experiences and whether that changes how a movie is consumed. With social media being a huge focal point in the entertainment space, these conversations are also spreading to non-cinephiles and becoming more and more prevalent in today's topics regarding film discourse. At the same time, there's a lot to note about what that means from an economic standpoint and how it contributes to box-office numbers, as well as how the industry continues to evolve and grow.
Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey (2026) is among the biggest movies of the year, and the story alone warrants it as a tale that should require careful attention in the filming process. If you're preparing to catch it in theaters, here's everything you need to know about whether or not you should see it in IMAX.
The Movie Theater Screens, Explained
If you're constantly hearing people talk about different theatrical experiences and are still confused about what it all means, you aren't alone. Really, few people put as much thought into this as critics and cinephiles do, and that's okay. At the same time, the economy is in shambles, and people have various lifestyles that stop them from attending theaters, so you should never feel ashamed if you can only watch something once it begins streaming for free somewhere. We get it.
Now, with programs like AMC's A-list, members have the chance to pick from a wide variety of experiences, and big movies like The Odyssey play in every single one. There's IMAX with Laser, Dolby Cinema, Prime, 70mm, Laser, XL, and in a small number of prominent theaters that offer IMAX 70mm.
A lot of these screens are, in a sense, very similar, with a few differences here and there to add layers to the theatrical experience. Prime and Dolby have some similar details in what they showcase visually with their projections; the only difference is that Dolby always utilizes 4K, whereas Prime occasionally uses 2K if it's not 4K. 4K naturally makes the films brighter and more vivid. They both feature similar forms of immersive sound with slight differences based on the space available within each theater. (The seats are also significantly more comfortable than those in a regular laser screen room.) Essentially, you can't go wrong with either of them for a gorgeous theatrical experience.
IMAX screens, however, are essentially the biggest. Their laser techniques feature 4K as well, but it's the scale that makes it that much more appealing. And here's the thing: There's also 70mm, which runs horizontally, but personally, unless it's IMAX 70mm, I'd rather do IMAX alone for the larger vertical scale, too. All those images that came out of Project Hail Mary (2026) on social media earlier this year were from IMAX 70mm, and there's so much beauty in how vivid and immersive it can feel, but preference between them is based entirely on you.
Should You Watch 'The Odyssey' In IMAX?
The short answer is yes. The Odyssey was shot entirely with an IMAX camera, and the intention behind Nolan's vision will shine best on the larger scale. Technology is constantly evolving, and up until more recently, it wasn't possible to capture an entire movie with the specific IMAX camera only. Now that Nolan's achieved it, the vastness of The Odyssey also feels like the perfect story to experience this type of visual feast through.
In addition, the story is one that's so heavily character-driven that the performances we get from actors will be best experienced on a larger screen. According to CBS News, "IMAX worked with Nolan and his photography team to create a mirror system that allowed the camera to capture the actors' faces from a much closer angle." This feature alone makes it worth checking out the movie on an IMAX screen to understand more of the layers within the text that can't be fit into a nearly three-hour timeframe.
The entire point of an IMAX screening is essentially to give the audience an immersive experience that'll allow them to feel like they're part of the film. In a nutshell, movies are an escape regardless, and when we have them on a scale as large as an IMAX screen with the sound quality that feels like it's reverberating straight through us, it's easier to lose ourselves in the visuals. As someone with vertigo who could never watch a movie in 3D, for instance, the advancements in technology have made it easier to feel perhaps that same depth that people feel when they watch 3D movies.
However, at the end of the day, the truth is that everyone has different sensory preferences, lifestyles, and budgets that might stop them from watching a movie in IMAX. Ultimately, no matter how you watch it, the movie is already shot in a manner that'll ensure it's a visual triumph, even if you watch it at home.
