'The Walk': Why Did This Movie Make Audiences Physically Sick?

‘The Walk,’ directed by Robert Zemeckis in 2015, has been dubbed by some as the most nauseating non-horror film ever made. Forget about the standard jump scares and gore you associate with horror movies. This biopic grips the armrests of audiences more tightly than many horror villains could ever cause them to tingle.

It is based on the amazing true story of Philippe Petit, a Frenchman who, in 1974, walked a tightrope between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York.

Zemeckis uses stunning visuals and effects that make viewers dizzy to transport viewers to the tense experience of walking on that thin wire. The swaying, the dizzying heights and the sheer audacity of a man walking more than 100 stories above solid concrete are all almost palpable. Reviews by critics describe symptoms of nausea, sweating and even fainting during screenings; they read like medical reports.

But more than simply the visual components trick the viewer's mind. With the pressure of pulling off an impossible stunt, the emotional journey Petit goes on, and the sheer audacity of defying death, Zemeckis skillfully crafts a psychological thriller. The movie becomes a powerful concoction of fear, wonder and the intense feeling of "being up there" with Philippe when viewed in IMAX 3D.

The film's youthful daredevil spirit is enhanced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt's outstanding performance as Philippe Petit, which infuses it with thrilling vulnerability. Gordon-Levitt makes you experience every uncertainty, victory and near-miss firsthand, leaving you feeling deeply affected. ‘The Walk’ delivers an experience that unsettles viewers both physically and emotionally, pushing the boundaries of conventional film genres.

In ‘The Walk,’ director Robert Zemeckis uses captivating camera angles and stunning computer-generated special effects to put the audience right inside Philippe's head. By using these methods, the viewer can experience New York's streets from his perilous perch above the wire. 

Zemeckis goes one step further by using vertiginous camera movements, particularly when highlighting the towers' breathtaking height that Philippe bravely scales in his audacious feat. Philippe's incredible walk between the Twin Towers has a greater overall impact and heightens the audience's vertigo thanks to these cinematographic choices.

– Farheen Ali