Oppenheimer viewer shares upsetting experience of watching the film in IMAX front row: ‘Funhouse mirror for three hours’

When Christopher Nolan described the best seats for watching a movie on an IMAX screen last month, a lot of his fans must have decided to watch his new film Oppenheimer first day first show on exactly the same seats in their nearest IMAX screen. However, what they didn’t see coming is that most IMAX screens were full even before Oppenheimer released on July 21. (Also Read: Oppenheimer’s sex scenes spark controversy, outrage over Bhagava Gita’ link in intimate moment)

Viewer’s upsetting experience in front row

A viewer, who goes by the handle of @GriffOConnor on Twitter, has detailed their experience of watching Oppenheimer, but from the front row in an IMAX screen.

They wrote on Twitter, “We saw Oppenheimer in IMAX tonight but the only seats left were the very front row. One of the most upsetting viewing angles of my life.” While the video accompanying his caption has now been removed because of copyright violations, the viewer described the experience in the Twitter thread being similar to “watching a movie in a funhouse mirror for 3 hours.”

A user commented on the tweet and wrote, “At the very least, it’s not pixelated like the few times I’ve been in the front row of a regular theater.” Another tweeted a GIF of actor Willem Defoe crying.

Another user wrote, “This happened to me for Dunkirk — never again,” referring to Christopher’s last film, the 2017 war drama Dunkirk. Another posted a GIF of a superhero going through flames as a parallel to watching Oppenheimer in the front row of an IMAX screen, given it’s the biopic of J Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, and also depicts the infamous 1945 Trinity Test.

Best IMAX seats as per Nolan

Nolan had told news agency The Associated Press what the best seats for watching a movie in IMAX are. “When I’m in a theater that’s Cinemascope ratio, I like to be right near the front, middle of the third row. When I’m in a stadium, IMAX 1.43:1, then I actually like to be a little behind the center line right up at the middle. So, a little further back,” Nolan said.

Only if all Christopher Nolan fans could watch Oppenheimer in these seats on the opening day.