Every Sinners Viewing Option Explained: IMAX vs 4DX vs Standard & Which You Should Choose

After wowing the world with 2018’s Black Panther, director Ryan Coogler has launched another blockbuster event with Sinners. This new horror action movie will showcase actor Michael B. Jordan playing twin brothers who face off against a horde of bloodthirsty vampires who descend on their hometown. Since Sinners already has a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, the тιтle has quickly become one of the most hyped movies of 2025.

Following all this positive buzz, cinephiles may now want to experience Ryan Coogler’s Sinners in the best film format possible. Fortunately, Coogler has worked with Warner Bros. to present Sinners in several different formats to cater to viewers’ specific desires and create an enjoyable cinema experience. The director even released a video on YouTube explaining the various types of film formats in which Sinners will be presented and where such versions can be seen on the big screen throughout the world.

Sinners Is Available In IMAX, 4DX, 70mm, & More Formats

Coogler Presents Sinners In A Variety Of Formats

The production team for Sinners sH๏τ the movie with two different camera systems, one of them being Ultra Panavision 70mm film. This type of film was used for movies like 1959’s Ben-Hur and Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. Coogler and his team also sH๏τ certain scenes in IMAX 70mm film with 15 perforations, which are the holes seen on the edges of the film, to help present a bigger, sharper image. Coogler even received guidance from Christopher Nolan on how to shoot Sinners in IMAX, which should ensure that the movie will compare to Nolan’s blockbusters in terms of visual quality.

People can also watch Sinners in 4DX theaters, which put them in seats that release vibrations, strobe lights, or splashes of water to pull audiences into the action of the film. Since this is a horror movie, they are even splashed with red liquid used to simulate the blood shown in Sinners‘s gory scenes. While there are 50 4DX theaters in the United States that could screen Sinners, there are only 10 IMAX theaters in the world that will show Coogler’s blockbuster in a 70 mm, 15-perf format.

Sinners will also be presented in the Immersive Cinema Experience (ICE) format. An ICE theater will show the film with some of the pictures presented on panels on the sides of the main screen. While these panels aren’t connected to each other, they will still show a larger and wider version of Sinners that will encompᴀss viewers, making watching the film more realistic.

Meanwhile, ScreenX theaters will screen Sinners in a 270-degree, panoramic film format. This type of theater surrounds audiences with one large screen as opposed to multiple, separate panels, to immerse people even more in the movie. Sinners will additionally be presented in Dolby Cinema theaters, using an Adobe Vision screen with an HDR (High Dynamic Range) format, which features brighter, more intense colors.

How Each Aspect Ratio Changes Sinners

Each Format Creates A Unique Viewing Experience

Michael B Jordan's character looks at his watch while standing by a car in Sinners

Since Sinners will be shown in several different film formats in theaters, the movie will feature varying picture sizes that will make watching each version a different experience altogether. Sinners was mostly sH๏τ with Ultra Panavision 70mm film. For this reason, the movie will be presented in a wide and expansive 2.76:1 aspect ratio. Such a format is quite fitting for an action-packed blockbuster of such a scale, allowing audiences to feel just how big and beautiful this story is.

Though some audiences may want to see it in IMAX, they may only have a ticket that will give them access to a Sinners IMAX screening with a 1.90:1 aspect ratio. While IMAX 70mm film has a much bigger picture than Ultra Panavision 70mm film, the aspect ratio will change at some points in the movie, since it was sH๏τ in two different formats, to intensify the mood of the scene. However, audiences may have access to an IMAX screening with a 1.43:1 ratio, which will allow them to see more of the movie as it was intended to be.

Where To Watch Sinners In IMAX Film

There Are Only A Handful Of Special IMAX Film Screenings For Sinners

Michael B Jordan firing a Tommy gun in Sinners

While there are hundreds of IMAX theaters in the world, there are a larger number of IMAX Digital theaters than those for IMAX 70 mm 15-perf film. Audiences who want to experience Sinners in the latter format may have to make quite the trip to find the right theater. Fortunately, Coogler listed the 10 locations in the world that will show his new movie in this format. While most of them are in major U.S. cities, some can be found outside the country:

Lincoln Square 13 – New York
Citywalk Stadium 19 – Los Angeles
Irvine Spectrum – Los Angeles
Metreon 16 – San Francisco
Indiana State Museum – Indianapolis
Arizona Mills – Phoenix
Autonation – Fort Lauderdale
Webb Chapel – Dallas
Colossus – Toronto
BFI – London

Where To Watch Sinners In 70mm

Certain 70mm Screenings Of Sinners Are Also Very Rare

Michael B Jordan looking off into the distance in Sinners

Sinners‘ picture will be smaller with a 2.76:1 aspect ratio, especially since it has only five perforations. However, according to Coogler, this will be the most widely accessible way for audiences to watch in theaters. Despite this, watching Sinners on an Ultra Panavision 70mm film may be challenging. It isn’t easy to find a theater that showcases movies in this format due to the high costs of the film and projection equipment. In fact, Coogler stated that only five theaters in the United States will present Sinners in this format:

Vista Theater – Los Angeles
Alamo Brooklyn – New York
Village East Cinemas – New York
Grand Lake Theater – Oakland (San Francisco Bay Area)
Prytania Theater – New Orleans

Which Way You Should Watch Sinners

While Each Version Of Sinners Has A Different Quality, It All Comes Down To Taste

Michael B. Jordan bloodied and looking upset in Sinners

A huge and gorgeous blockbuster like Sinners should be seen on the biggest screen possible. Audiences should at least try to watch it on an IMAX screen if they can. However, for those who don’t want to see aspect ratios change during the film, a 2.76:1 ratio is definitely the best option.

Coogler claims the film’s changes in aspect ratio were engineered to reflect the emotions of certain scenes and make them more immersive. Nevertheless, without any change in screen size, Sinners could ensure that some audiences’ focus wouldn’t be taken out of the movie’s action. Drawing attention to the black bars on the screen could remind people that they’re watching a movie, which could render the experience jarring for them. In the end, it all comes down to what the viewer likes best, which is what makes Sinners‘ availability in so many formats appealing.

Source: YouTube