Christopher Nolan IMAX The Odyssey

Ok, do you actually need to watch The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm? Here’s what the difference is

There's so many options

Hebe Hancock
16th July 2026, 14:51
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Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey is finally here, and if you’ve gone to book tickets you’ve probably realised there are way too many options. Standard screenings, IMAX, 70mm, IMAX 35mm… suddenly buying a cinema ticket feels more complicated than it should.

Because Nolan has become basically synonymous with IMAX filmmaking, loads of people are wondering whether it’s actually worth hunting down one of the more premium screenings. So here’s what all the different formats actually mean.

IMAX gives you more of the picture

The biggest difference between a standard cinema screen and IMAX isn’t just that the screen is massive.

A true IMAX screen has a taller, squarer frame than the wide screens you’d find in most multiplexes. When a film like The Odyssey is shown in a regular cinema, parts of the image at the top and bottom are cropped out to fit the wider screen.

That means IMAX is the only format where you’re seeing the full frame exactly as it was intended.

According to IMAX, The Odyssey “was shot and designed to be experienced on the biggest film possible, and IMAX delivers on this.” The company also says it “fills your entire field of vision, immersing you fully for the best cinematic experience.”

So even if you’re watching on digital IMAX rather than film, you’ll still get that larger, taller image.

So where does 70mm come into it?

70mm isn’t the same thing as IMAX. It’s actually a film format rather than a type of screen.

That means you can watch The Odyssey on 70mm in cinemas that aren’t IMAX, and there are plenty of venues around the UK showing it that way.

Unlike IMAX 70mm, where the film moves horizontally through the projector, standard 70mm film runs vertically. Even though it isn’t IMAX, you’re still watching a movie that was captured on film and projected from film, which gives it a look that many people swear by.

Lupita Nyong’o has even said there’s nothing quite like watching a film in 70mm.

Is IMAX 70mm actually worth it?

Universal

If you want the absolute best version of The Odyssey, then yes, IMAX 70mm is the premium experience. It combines the full IMAX image with a film projection, making it the closest you’ll get to seeing the movie exactly as Nolan intended.

That said, if you can’t get to one of the limited IMAX 70mm locations, a standard IMAX screening is still a noticeable upgrade over a regular cinema. And if you’ve got access to a 70mm screening but not IMAX, you’ll still be getting a unique film presentation that’s very different from digital projection.

Basically, there’s no bad way to watch The Odyssey, but if you’ve been wondering why people are travelling hours just to see it in IMAX 70mm, now you know.

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Featured image credit: Universal