The film takes us inside Dr. Stone’s point of view — sometimes literally — and we feel her panic as she whips through the void. We experience the absolute silence of space. We feel her terror as she grapples for purchase on the side of a ship. In IMAX theaters, the wraparound screen does more than fill our field of vision; it consumes it. It’s part film, part virtual reality, and every moment is bolstered by a truly stunning use of 3D.

For years audiences have been told that 3D provided the opportunity for movies that felt more alive and more immersive. That it could create living, fictional worlds, but those claims have never really held up — until now. The 3D in Gravity is nuanced; never distracting from the action on screen, but always pulling the viewer in alongside Clooney and Bullock. There are times when the 3D is quite pronounced, but it’s always in moments very clearly designed to accommodate the illusion. The experiential nature of the film helps — I’m still not sold that 3D will ever be worthwhile in a courtroom drama — but the general feeling is that of a gifted artist harnessing the capabilities of a powerful new tool. 3D is such an integral part of the spell the movie casts that its only downside may be that it won’t be duplicated effectively when people watch the movie at home.

None of it would work, however, without Sandra Bullock. George Clooney is as charming as ever, but he’s still just playing George Clooney. It’s Bullock who serves as the vital, human core of the film. It’s her panic we feel, her desperation that gnaws at our guts, and eventually, her hope that drives the film. Ultimately all of Cuarón’s efforts are there in service of Bullock’s performance, and the resonant, human story it tells. Gravity does reach beyond basic survival for some loftier thematic goals, and while some may find it clunky — the movie isn’t shy about wearing its ideas on its sleeve — it’s awkward only because the rest of the film is so flawless.