At time when movie theaters are struggling with ways to attract audiences, Apple Cinemas in Westbrook is trying to give their customers a new, more immersive experience.

Since October, the theater has been showing some movies using ScreenX, a technology designed to surround the audience with the film.

Right now, Apple Cinemas in Westbrook is the only theater in Maine showing movies with ScreenX, according to CJ 4DPLEX, the company that owns the technology. Here’s a guide to ScreenX, how it works and what to expect at the theater.

How does ScreenX work?

The movies are typically shown using three projectors, one for the theater’s central screen and two to cast images onto the side walls. The size of the images on the side walls can vary from theater to theater, but ScreenX can create a wrap-around effect of up to about 270 degrees.

What does a movie on ScreenX look like?

ScreenX is designed so that the film flows “seamlessly across the walls,” according to CJ 4DPLEX. Expanding the film onto the side walls provides expanded perspective but does not change the resolution of the film.

What’s the main difference between ScreenX and IMAX?

ScreenX uses a standard size main screen, with an image shown at standard digital quality. But an IMAX film is shown in a larger format, on a curved screen, sometimes 60 by 80 feet or more. Standard screens can be about 50 by 25 feet or smaller. The film is not projected on side walls, though some IMAX theaters in museums also show images above, on a domed screen.

What kinds of movies are shown on ScreenX?

ScreenX typically works best for movies with frequent wide shots, sweeping landscapes or dynamic action. These include superhero films, fantasy and science fiction, horror and thrillers, concert films, musicals and adventure stories. Some of the recent or upcoming movies at Apple Cinemas in Westbrook using ScreenX include “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” “Project Hail Mary,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “The Mummy.”

Where are some other ScreenX theaters?

There are about 370 ScreenX theaters around the world. The closest one to Maine is likely the Apple Cinemas location in Hooksett, New Hampshire. Apple Cinemas also is planning to open one in Providence, Rhode Island, this year. Several theater chains offer ScreenX, including AMC, Regal and Cinemark, but not in New England, according to their websites. The technology was first used in 2012.

Will Apple show ScreenX films at its Saco location?

Apple Cinemas currently has no plans to show ScreenX movies in Saco, but has an IMAX theater there. That IMAX theater was Maine’s first when Cinemagic opened it in 2009, with a screen that measured 70 by 40 feet.

How much does a ScreenX movie cost?

A ScreenX adult ticket for an evening screening of “The Mummy” in Westbrook on April 16 is $21.75 online, according to the Apple Cinemas website. The price to see the same film in a standard auditorium is $15.75 online.