What if your movie played on three screens at once?
If you’ve had the chance to check out a movie in a ScreenX theater, you’ve had this experience and likely have a new appreciation for what an immersive experience filmgoing can be. If you haven’t, then it’s something you really should take in at least once and see what it can add to your overall enjoyment of a film.
What Is ScreenX?
ScreenX is a relatively new way of taking in a movie with the primary goal of creating a more immersive and panoramic experience.
This is done with expanded, dual-sided, 270-degree screens that allow the action on the film’s primary screen to expand outward to the left and right walls in your theater.
ScreenX films are often formatted during shooting in production or converted later during the post-production process. The use of three cameras is often required, while editors color grade and master the final prints before they arrive in theaters.
Typically, ScreenX films are not shot entirely in the format. Rather, the technology is saved for key moments in the film, such as action sequences or moments with picturesque landscapes, that would benefit from having the extra depth of perception.
ScreenX got its start with films in South Korea, but Hollywood has been adapting to provide the option with more of their mainstream films in recent years. Major theater chains such as Regal, Cinemark, Marcus Theatres, B&B Theatres and Cineplex have begun making ScreenX viewing available to moviegoers.
What Is ScreenX?
What the ScreenX Film Experience Is Like
For this writer, their first experience with ScreenX came this past weekend with a viewing of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning at the new CinemaWest Beach Cities theatre in El Segundo, Calif.
Honestly, I’d be hard pressed to find a better film to experience in ScreenX than Mission: Impossible; the series’ action scenes continue to push the envelope with death-defying stunts throughout. Whether it be a race against the clock to escape an explosion, some harrowing submarine escape, or some high flying acrobatics, the action takes you on a thrill ride.
And with the ScreenX expansion of the moviegoing experience, it feels more like you’ve been dropped right in the middle of the action. If used effectively, this could definitely add some extra suspense when things pop up out of the corner of your eye that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.
But equally impressive are the moments when ScreenX is used to share the natural beauty of an expansive landscape, something that happens several times in The Final Reckoning. While the left and right screens mostly fill your peripheral vision, the curiosity definitely set in a few times to turn your head and take a closer look at what’s happening on the sides of your view.
The Mission: Impossible film wasn’t the only taste of ScreenX we got, either. Some of the trailers, including the one for the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth, made great use of ScreenX as well. There’s nothing like seeing a giant dinosaur tail sweep across your full field of vision.
Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning ScreenX Teaser
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Wisely, filmmakers seem to have determined that ScreenX works best when used sparingly. This is not necessarily something that’s needed for dialogue-heavy movies. There are better ways to draw you into something along those lines.
With Mission: Impossible, it was occasionally a little jarring at times, and the use of the side screens does tip you off that something of consequence is about to happen (that might not work too well with horror films). Still, once you become adjusted to that aspect, it doesn’t take you out of the viewing experience.
Is It Worth the Price?
You are definitely going to pay a little more in order to see a movie in a ScreenX theater. But is it worth it?
ScreenX is not something you need to do for every film. As previously stated, it works really well for movies that have thrilling action scenes and movies that put a focus on visuals. If you know ahead of time you’re seeing a movie like that, you might want to give ScreenX a try.
Those who enjoy the thrill of a great movie sound system or geek out over new technology should also certainly give it a go. It’s just another way to bring you closer to the film and it did bring this viewer some additional enjoyment. That said, if extra bells and whistles don’t typically grab you, this may be a bit unnecessary. You might want to stick to a regular screening instead.
In my case, I’m happy I paid for ScreenX in this case. But it’s not something I’ll do with every film available in this format.
What Films Are Showing This Year in ScreenX?
Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning is playing in ScreenX now, and Jurassic World Rebirth is coming soon.
Additional 2025 films that appeared in ScreenX theaters this year (or will appear in it soon) include Dog Man, Captain America: Brave New World, Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning, Mickey 17, Snow White, A Minecraft Movie, Sinners, Thunderbolts*, How to Train Your Dragon, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Bad Guys 2 and Predator: Badlands.
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