Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey opened on July 17 and immediately became the biggest launch of his career, pulling in $120.5 million domestically and $257.8 million worldwide over its first weekend.
That beats The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight, and Oppenheimer. Reviews have been strong too, but most of the online chatter isn’t about the plot. It’s about which screen you’re watching it on.
That’s because The Odyssey is the first feature film ever shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. Nolan built the whole movie around this format, and the version he actually wants people to see is IMAX 15-perf/70mm, often just called IMAX 70mm.
The problem is that only around 40 screens in the entire world can show it.
Tickets for those screens have reportedly been selling on eBay for absurd prices, and IMAX 70mm showtimes apparently sold out a year in advance.
Cinemas started running 7 AM and even 2 AM screenings just to meet demand, and those film prints still accounted for around 5% of total preview night earnings despite being available in so few places.
So why does the format matter so much? IMAX 70mm uses film that runs horizontally through the projector on 15 perforations, which allows for a far bigger and sharper image than anything else in cinemas.
It’s shown at a 1.43:1 aspect ratio, meaning the picture stretches from floor to ceiling and fills your entire vision rather than sitting inside a rectangle in the middle of the screen.
Because The Odyssey was shot specifically for this format, watching it this way is the closest thing to seeing exactly what Nolan intended (something that has become something of an internet meme at this point).
Below that is IMAX with Laser, which is what most IMAX cinemas around the world actually run today, since true IMAX film projectors are rare and expensive to maintain.
These screens show the film at 1.90:1, and while that’s a smaller frame than the full 1.43:1 version, the footage was still captured on IMAX cameras, so the source material remains as detailed as it gets even when shown digitally.
After that comes regular 70mm film, not the IMAX kind, shown at 2.20:1. It runs vertically through the projector using five perforations and offers roughly three times the resolution of standard digital projection, along with the richer, more analog look that comes from real film.
Then there’s 35mm, the classic format most people grew up with, shown at 2.39:1. Interestingly, because the original footage was captured on such large IMAX negatives, a 35mm print actually loses comparatively little detail, even though it’s a much older and smaller format.
Dolby Cinema is a fully digital option, shown at either 1.85:1 or 2.39:1 depending on the venue, but it uses laser projection with extremely high contrast and comes with Dolby Atmos sound, which matters a lot for a Nolan film known for dense sound design.
Finally, there’s Premium Large Format, or PLF, a general label cinema chains use for upgraded auditoriums with bigger screens, laser projection, and better sound. It’s not as detailed as any of the film formats, but it’s still a clear step up from a standard multiplex screen.
Watching The Odyssey in Kenya
None of the true IMAX 70mm or standard 70mm film screens exist anywhere in Africa, so that gold standard version simply isn’t accessible locally.
The best option in the country is Garden City Century Cinemax, which runs the only IMAX with Laser screen in Kenya and the only licensed IMAX screen in East Africa. At 1.90:1, it’s the closest you’ll get to the full IMAX experience Nolan built the film for.
If IMAX isn’t convenient, the next best option is VIP Atmos, also at Garden City, which uses Dolby Atmos surround sound for a more immersive audio experience than standard cinema sound systems.
Junction Mall also has an Atmos screen if Garden City is out of reach.
Beyond that, Sarit Centre and Two Rivers both offer Premium Large Format screens. They won’t match the detail of IMAX, but they’re still a noticeably better experience than a regular home setup or standard multiplex screen.
In short, if you’re in Kenya and want to see The Odyssey the way Nolan intended, Garden City’s IMAX with Laser screen is your best shot. Everything else is a solid alternative, just not the full picture.
