Sony PicturesWe have heard of putting the audience in the middle of the action but this is taking it a little far.
The Walk is based on the infamous story of tightrope walker Philippe Petit, who walked across a wire connected to the Twin Towers in 1974. The movie was shot in 3D, making the already terrifying heights actually come to life. So much so that audiences are literally vomiting at the sight of it.
The Walk held press screening this week and the reception was queasy. But at least it wasn't because the movie was terrible (that's left for films like Pixels).
Based on tweets and first person accounts from inside the theaters, it seems like people are getting sick from the immense vertigo induced by seeing The Walk.
Apparently it was a nausea inducing 20-minute tightrope scene that had critics feeling seriously ill during the viewing:
"The last 20 minutes of the film I had to look away a couple of times because of the sensation of the height," Denise Widman, board director of the Boston Jewish Film Festival, told the NY Post. "I felt a little bit queasy. I felt nervous. It was a tingling sensation and some anxiety."
The Walk director Robert Zemeckis has had a lot of experience with 3D movies (Christmas Carol, Beauwolf), and he wanted this film to feel real to the audience. Although this might be making it too real.
"[The goal] was to evoke the feeling of vertigo. We worked really hard to put the audience up on those towers and on the wire," Zemeckis said during a press conference.
Well, mission accomplished.
Forget vertigo; we're also experiencing some déjà-vu. This happened in Alfonso Cuarón's 2013 hit Gravity. Movie-goers diagnosed themselves with motion sickness and had to keep themselves from barfing in the theater while watching the Sandra Bullock-George Clooney space odyssey.
There is a scientific reason why some people feel sick after watching a 3D movie, and it has to do with our eyes. According to a 2013 study, the queasiness is caused by the mismatch between the distance at which our eyes converge and at which they focus.
Our physical reaction combined with large cinematic stunts like this can be a sickly combination. Our recommendation: The movie is probably beautiful and exhilarating, but if you have a sensitive tummy, maybe bring a barf bag with you to the theater.