Over the last several years, movie theaters have tried to do whatever they can to keep audiences coming out to see the latest and greatest movies. From subscription programs to secret screenings, there has been no shortage of different avenues to keep audiences happy.
One of the biggest draws to the theater has been different formats. Whether it’s IMAX, Dolby Cinemas, or 3D, there are plenty of different options to let viewers experience the movies in unique ways. An option that has gained recent popularity is 4DX.
4DX first debuted in 2009. The format has slowly made a name for itself over the years. A surge in popularity has occurred over the last couple of years, thanks to movies like last year’s Twisters and the social media app TikTok.
The object of 4DX is to enhance the movie experience and make you feel like you’re in the movie. This includes motion-based seating, water effects, and full room effects like fog, wind, and even different scents. These theaters are similar to certain attractions one might see at an amusement or theme park.
With any enhanced experience, that is surely going to raise the price point for a movie ticket. The question then becomes, is the enhanced format worth the upgrade in price? As someone who recently got to experience 4DX for the first time, I would say yes and no.
This past week, Apple Films invited me out to a special 4DX screening of F1: The Movie. As for the movie itself, I found it to be quite good. It features a couple of great performances from Brad Pitt and Damson Idris.
As far as the 4DX experience goes, it was a lot of fun. Throughout the movie, there are various scenes that feature F1 races. Anytime the cars would go around the track, the seating would rise up and move right along with the action on screen.
Unfortunately, the seats in front of mine were not working that night, so I didn’t experience any of the water effects. Under normal circumstances, there is a button on your armrest to turn on and off the water effects if you would rather not get wet during the movie.
There were several moments that involved cars wrecking in the movie, and this resulted in the seats vibrating as well as fog near the screen to simulate the burning rubber from the cars. At times, there were some scents pumped into the theater; however, I could never really get a good idea of what scents they were actually supposed to be.
Overall, it’s an experience that certainly has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it does add a new dynamic to going to see a movie at the theater. At the same time, after a while, it does become repetitive. Getting thrown around in your seat for an almost two-and-a-half-hour movie is a lot different than going to a theme park and it only lasting five to eight minutes.
For the theater I visited, a standard ticket is around $20. Seeing the same movie in 4DX will run you closer to $32 for an adult ticket. Now the question becomes, is it worth the extra price for the experience?
Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it for the price increase. As fun as it is, there are only a few select movies that I would be willing to spend the extra money on. For everything else, the standard format or even IMAX is still a good option and is cheaper.
The concept here is great, but it feels like there needs to be a little something more to justify that price point.
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Jake Peffer
Jake Peffer is a film critic born and raised just outside of Atlanta. Since the age of 10, Jake has had a strong passion for film and has been writing and discussing films for over 15 years. He runs his own site, Jake's Cinema Room, and has written for other outlets including Flickering Myth, We Live Entertainment and BRWC. Since 2012, Jake has been a member of the Georgia Film Critics Association. He has also been a part of the Atlanta Film Critics Circle since 2023.