The Odyssey (2026)
SHOULD I SEE IT?
YES
Christopher Nolan’s most emotionally engaging film in years, uses Homer’s The Odyssey as an exploration of trauma, loyalty, and how conflict changes a person.
Visually stunning and with exceptional music, sound, and production design, The Odyssey is a breathtaking cinematic experience.
Matt Damon gives a career-defining lead performance, which rivals a similar turn from Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant years ago.
NO
There will be those who have little interest in a Greek mythological poem, adapted as a sword-and-sandal fantasy film. I don’t know what to tell you - you’re truly missing out.
The episodic nature of Homer’s epic poem cannot be overcome by Nolan’s adaptation, which leaves some viewers feeling like these are a series of short stories or vignettes and less of a cohesive feature.
Those who are impacted by seeing animals of any kind in peril should be made aware that there may be some difficult moments in the film.
OUR REVIEW
With Christopher Nolan’s filmography, his vision seems limitless, pushing the boundaries of cinematic art while seeking new technical innovations. With his latest film, the Oscar-winning filmmaker attempts to mount a massive cinematic retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey. To do so, Nolan worked with IMAX to design and create new cameras, shooting with 70 mm film, that worked quieter and lighter than what had previously been developed. As a result, The Odyssey is now the first film to be made exclusively with IMAX film cameras.
At the time the production wrapped, Nolan shot approximately two million feet of film, across six countries. And, because of limitations with IMAX film cameras only being able to hold around three minutes of film, his actors were forced to pause their performances while cameras were reloaded.
Without question, Nolan’s gamble has paid off. Full of vivid color, rich detail, and imagery that impresses on both an epic and intimate level, The Odyssey is among the most visually impressive films of Nolan’s career. Surprisingly less dense and more accessible than his Oscar-winning Oppenheimer, his adaptation of Homer’s 12,109-line epic poem becomes a modernized examination of trauma, loss, and how prolonged conflict and tragedy can change a person. It further explores themes of loyalty, morality, and the disorienting feeling of returning home to a world that no longer feels familiar or even safe.
In addition, Nolan’s adaptation draws notable parallels to our modern world, resurrecting this Greek epic into a thoughtful and timely film worth exploring from multiple different perspectives.
For those new to The Odyssey, this is largely the seminal example of what Joseph Campbell described as the “Hero’s Journey.” Odysseus (Matt Damon), the king of Ithaca, leaves his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and infant son Telemachus to fight in the Trojan War. As we arrive upon the story, 20 years have passed and a handful of suitors are seeking to take the hand of Penelope and supplant her husband and son as heirs to the throne. Penelope resists, even as one nobleman, Antinous (Robert Pattinson), makes a plea that he is in love with the queen and she, in turn, deserves to be loved after being alone for so long.
Through a non-linear storytelling path, made easy to follow with exemplary rhythm and consistency from Oscar-winning editor Jennifer Lame, we see Odysseus’s tireless attempts to return home fraught with peril and tragedy. We also see him, in the film’s present-day, trying to recall these past events. However, he is too physically weak, struggling to remember why he never returned home. In his absence from Ithaca, he has been sharing time on a remote island with Calypso (Charlize Theron), a nymph who rescued him when he was near death and nurtured him back to health.
Nolan’s not able to avoid the episodic nature of Homer’s writing and The Odyssey can feel at times like a compilation of short stories or vignettes, as opposed to a conventionally designed screenplay. Yet, in their own unique way, each sequence is fascinating to watch unfold.
The crew’s encounter with a massive 60-foot-tall cyclops, a breathtaking mix of animatronics, puppetry and CGI performance from Bill Irwin was reportedly inspired by Guillermo del Toro’s belief that a movie monster must have a recognizable soul as part of its overall monstrous presence. Though not for the squeamish, the encounter with the sheepherding beast has an element of empathy that few films would be so willing to embrace when characters encounter something so frightening, fearful, and dangerous.
Tom Holland assumes the role of Telemachus as a young man and he is convinced, along with elderly, blind swineherd Eumaeus (John Leguizamo), that Odysseus will return. Nonetheless, against Penelope’s wishes, he sets out to travel to Sparta in an effort to learn the truth about what happened to his father.
Holland, shaky at times, holds his performance together just enough to stand alongside a stellar cast assembled by Nolan and casting director John Papsidera. The names involved make The Odyssey a potential huge box office attraction, but they also threaten to turn the film into a cinematic game of “Celebrity Guess Who?”
As Athena, Zendaya brings quiet wisdom to Odysseus, while Jon Bernthal makes the most out of his scenes as Menelaus, the King of Sparta. Though performers like Lupita Nyong’o, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, and even rap star Travis Scott appear briefly, it’s when Nolan asks his actors to carry the film’s emotional weight that the ensemble truly finds its power.
Elliot Page offers a devastatingly emotional scene as Sinon, Odysseus’ cousin. Veteran actors Himesh Patel, as Eurylochus, Odysseus’ brother-in-law, and Samantha Morton, as Circe, a witch who offers Odysseus’ men a much-needed meal, both leave a lasting impression - Patel stoking empathy and compassion, while Morton creates a frightening situation that Odysseus must negotiate to continue on with his quest.
Damon, though, lies at the heart of everything. His rugged physicality, the emotional depths he finds within a war-torn Odysseus, and his depiction of dogged determination in the face of overwhelming adversity makes this a career-defining performance. At times, his performance feels akin to what Leonardo DiCaprio accomplished in his Oscar-winning turn in The Revenant, and I would not be surprised if similar accolades were to come Damon’s way this upcoming awards season.
Though the final act, where Odysseus tests the loyalty of those close to him in an effort to make it back home, can feel a little repetitive and drawn out, The Odyssey is never boring, despite its nearly three-hour running time.
There is just so much to take in: Hoyte Van Hoytema’s camerawork finds terror and beauty equally amid darkness and light, while the visual effects team create a seamless and transformative viewing experience. Ludwig Göransson’s score ranks among the Oscar winner’s finest work. Recorded almost entirely using Bronze Age instruments – including gongs, lyres, and aulos – it provides an extraordinary component to the film, amplifying moments of intensity while delicately underscoring the film’s quieter sequences.
As the film reached its conclusion, I was exhilarated. I don’t know what more I could have wanted from Nolan’s adaptation. As someone who has championed his work in the past, and was slightly disappointed in how distant Oppenheimer felt from allowing viewers to make an emotional connection, I found The Odyssey tapping into a story with major stakes and a masterful command of epic-style filmmaking.
While a sword-and-sandal fantasy film may not be everyone’s cup of tea in the age of superhero blockbusters and horror films, I was so overcome with wonder and excitement that this felt like an Odyssey well worth taking.
CAST & CREW
Starring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Jon Bernthal, Charlize Theron, Bill Irwin, Elliot Page, Benny Safdie, Will Yun Lee, Corey Hawkins, Mia Goth, Logan Marshall-Green, Travis Scott, James Remar, Jovan Adepo, Jesse Garcia, Josh Stewart, Ryan Hurst, Elyes Gabel, Sean Avery
Director: Christopher Nolan
Written by: Christopher Nolan
Based on the epic poem, “The Odyssey” by Homer
Release Date: July 17, 2026
Universal Pictures