Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has arrived, and it is not a movie meant to be watched on a laptop. Shot entirely on IMAX film cameras, Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic was built from the ground up for the biggest screen you can find. Real ships. Thousands of extras. A full-scale Trojan Horse hauled across a beach. If there was ever a film that justified a drive across the bridge to the right theatre, this is it.
If you are trying to figure out where to see it around Metro Vancouver, here is what you need to know before you book tickets.
Why IMAX Actually Matters for This Movie
It is easy to be skeptical of “see it in IMAX” marketing, but The Odyssey is one of those rare cases where the format changes the experience rather than just inflating the price. In his IMAX review for Engadget, critic Devindra Hardawar described watching the film on a standard screen first, then again in true IMAX, and said the second viewing made the first feel like a completely different movie. He pointed to shots like the Trojan Horse buried on the beach and an aerial view of Odysseus’s cliffside home in Ithaca as moments that only fully land when the image fills your entire field of vision, rather than sitting neatly framed inside a normal screen.
He also noted that the sound design benefits just as much as the visuals. Individual weapon clashes during battle scenes and the low end of Ludwig Göransson’s score come through with a physical weight that smaller theatres simply cannot reproduce.
The catch is that “IMAX” does not mean one single thing. That distinction matters more for this movie than almost any other release in recent memory.
IMAX 70mm vs. IMAX Laser vs. Regular 70mm: What’s the Difference
Here is where it gets genuinely confusing, and where a recent Vancouver-focused thread on r/askvan cleared up more than most articles do. There are actually three different formats floating around Metro Vancouver right now, and they are not interchangeable.
IMAX 70mm film is the format The Odyssey was actually shot on, and it’s the only version that shows Nolan’s full 1.43:1 frame, the tall, nearly-square aspect ratio that fills your entire peripheral vision. As one commenter explained in detail, IMAX 70mm film runs horizontally through the projector with frames 15 perforations wide, and it’s roughly three times the size of standard 70mm film. Locally, only two theatres run true IMAX 70mm: SilverCity Riverport Cinemas in Richmond and Cineplex Cinemas Langley. Multiple commenters called this the only way to see the movie exactly as Nolan intended, citing the massive screen size, the analog warmth of film projection, and a resolution that’s estimated somewhere in the 6K to 12K range, well above standard digital projection.
IMAX Laser (digital) is what you’ll find at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver and Cineplex Cinemas Coquitlam. It’s a 4K digital projection with a slightly expanded 1.90:1 aspect ratio, not the full 1.43:1. Commenters noted it’s brighter and more consistent than film, with a strong sound system, but the screens are noticeably smaller than Richmond or Langley, and you won’t get the complete frame Nolan shot.
Regular 70mm film is playing at a couple of Vancouver’s independent theatres, including the Park Theatre, and it’s easy to mix this up with IMAX 70mm since both say “70mm.” They’re not the same. As one detailed commenter put it, standard 70mm runs vertically with a 2.20:1 aspect ratio, meaning the image is significantly cropped from what the IMAX cameras actually captured. It’s a great way to support a local independent cinema, but it isn’t the full picture.
The general local consensus: if you can get to Richmond or Langley, that’s the closest thing to seeing the movie the way it was made. If those are sold out or too far, Scotiabank or Coquitlam’s IMAX Laser is a very strong second option with a bigger, brighter image than a standard theatre. And if you just want a fun film-projected outing and don’t mind a cropped frame, the Park Theatre is a good time.
A tool several commenters pointed to for visualizing the aspect ratio differences is film-formats.vercel.app, which is worth a look if you want to see exactly how much extra frame you get with the full IMAX ratio.
IMAX Theatres Around Metro Vancouver
ActiveVancouver.ca tracks IMAX and large-format screening locations across the region, so you can compare options and book without digging through five different cinema chain websites. You can browse the full, current list here:
Find IMAX theatres near you on ActiveVancouver.ca
A few of the go-to options for catching The Odyssey around the region:
- SilverCity Riverport Cinemas — Richmond’s true IMAX 70mm screen, one of only two in the region showing the film’s complete 1.43:1 frame. Good seats have been booking up for weeks out, so weekday and late showings are your best bet for availability.
- Cineplex Cinemas Langley — The other true IMAX 70mm screen in Metro Vancouver, and the closest option for anyone South of the Fraser. Reports from moviegoers suggest the screen runs slightly larger than Richmond’s, though seating comfort has gotten mixed reviews.
- Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver — Downtown’s IMAX Laser screen, a 4K digital presentation in the 1.90:1 ratio. Easily reached by SkyTrain, and a strong choice if the 70mm screens are sold out.
- Cineplex Cinemas Coquitlam and VIP — The Tri-Cities’ IMAX Laser option, running the same digital format as Scotiabank, with easier parking for anyone coming from the Fraser Valley.
Showtimes and screen availability shift quickly for a release this in-demand, so it’s worth checking each listing directly before you commit to a plan.
What Critics and Audiences Are Saying
The Odyssey has landed as one of the best-reviewed films of Christopher Nolan’s career. As of this week, it’s sitting in the mid-to-high 90s percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer from critics, with an audience score in a similar range — both numbers that have shifted slightly day to day as more ratings come in, but consistently among the highest scores Nolan has ever received. For context, that puts it on par with or ahead of Oppenheimer and The Dark Knight in his filmography. Given how quickly scores can move in the days after a wide release, it’s worth doing a quick check on Rotten Tomatoes yourself before heading out, but the early consensus is about as strong as blockbusters get.
Tips Before You Go
A few practical notes worth keeping in mind, pulled from both critic reviews and local moviegoer discussion:
- Book well ahead if you want 70mm. Good seats at Richmond and Langley have reportedly been booked solid for weeks at a time, particularly on weekends. Weekday and late-night showings tend to have better availability.
- Confirm exactly what “IMAX” means at each theatre. As the Reddit breakdown makes clear, IMAX 70mm (Richmond, Langley), IMAX Laser (Scotiabank, Coquitlam), and standard 70mm (independent theatres like the Park) are three genuinely different experiences, not just marketing variations.
- Sit further back, not closer. Several moviegoers who’ve already seen it recommend avoiding the first few rows on the big 70mm screens, since the image fills your entire field of vision and full compositions are easier to take in with some distance. Seating comfort at the large-format screens has also gotten mixed feedback, so factor that into how far back you’re willing to sit.
- Expect a long, immersive sit. This is a big-scale film built for a big screen, so plan your evening around it, including parking or transit timing if you’re heading to Richmond, Langley, or downtown.
For the full, up-to-date list of IMAX and large-format screenings around Metro Vancouver, visit ActiveVancouver.ca’s IMAX directory.