Before the release of The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan had nearly done it all in his filmmaking career. He directed superhero films, biopics, war films, and, more predominantly, sci-fi thrillers with many twists and turns that beg for a rewatch to be completely understood. However, throughout all this time, the Oscar-winning director had yet to make a fully fleshed-out fantasy film. Granted, projects like The Prestige have fantastical elements sprinkled throughout their narrative, but The Odyssey is still well outside Nolan's comfort zone. Fortunately, it doesn't feel like it.
2026 will be home to ambitious and big-scale projects like Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, and yet they already have their work cut out for them thanks to the release of The Odyssey. This Greek epic will make audiences feel they are right next to Odysseus in the middle of a perilous journey to get home, and the results are beyond impressive.
An exceptional, non-linear story that delivers (even if it likes to stray from its source material from time to time)
At this point, it is no secret that Nolan has developed a bit of a narrative pattern over the years. Most of his films are told in a non-linear fashion, in which audiences are introduced to an interesting setup or mystery from the get-go, whose payoff comes during the film's third act. The Odyssey is no different, and while this storytelling formula has become a little predictable, it also fits this tale incredibly well.
Throughout the events of The Odyssey, audiences will jump back and forth in time on multiple occasions. In the past, we see all the dangers Odysseus (Matt Damon) faced during his first years attempting to return home after the Trojan War. Meanwhile, in the present day, Telemachus (Tom Holland) wants to discover what truly happened to his father, who has been missing for nearly 20 years. This allows Nolan to switch between big set pieces filled with horrors beyond imagination directly to character-focused moments in a heartbeat. Better yet, the backtracks never feel like a drag, as they constantly help the story move forward.
The Odyssey's tale also lends itself to some horror-focused moments in which Nolan absolutely excelled. I have to admit, I was jump-scared here more times than I ever was with other big horror movies. Granted, a big part of these scares was because they were accompanied by a loud, sudden sound. But whenever one of The Odyssey's monsters appeared on-screen, I felt an extreme sense of uneasiness, as you could just tell something horrible was about to happen. That speaks volumes as to how well-crafted these sequences really were.
Speaking a bit about the sound design, there were some sequences where I couldn't make out some of the dialogue due to the loud music or sound effects playing in the background. This isn't new for a Nolan film, and it is not nearly as bad as it was with Interstellar, but it does happen in a few instances all the same.
Nolan's depiction of the gods in The Odyssey was also sublime. Without going too much into spoiler territory, this is one of those occasions in which audiences can have different interpretations of what happened in specific scenes. There isn't a clear answer spelled out for some plot points, and it works wonders. After all, it encourages you to keep the conversation going long after you leave the movie theater.
As is the case with any adaptation, it's impossible to fully separate it from its source material. Granted, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey stands on its own merits, but it is also built upon Homer's Odyssey, and there are some key differences between the two worth pointing out. Events that take much longer in the books, such as the encounter with Circe, are much quicker in the film. Furthermore, certain key elements are completely left out of the adaptation, such as the bag of winds. Fortunately, it never feels like the film is missing something, but I could've definitely watched more of it.
An inspired score that greatly elevates the movie
There are many things to praise about The Odyssey, but perhaps one of its highest points is its fantastic score, composed by Ludwig Göransson. I cannot give Göransson enough credit for his work in Nolan's Greek epic. There's one sequence in particular towards the very end where my jaw was on the floor the entire time, and it was—in great part—due to the music building to a thrilling crescendo that had a lot of weight and emotion.
The Odyssey's score can feel raw and primal, which is very fitting for the tale that's playing out on the big screen. Nolan challenged Göransson to create something completely unique that didn't involve the usual orchestra normally found within these big theatrical releases. To accomplish this, Göransson and the musical team behind the film played replicas of auloi and Greek lyres, and the result definitely pays off as the music feels unique yet powerful all the same.
Furthermore, music and sound design are some of the biggest reasons why the film's horror-centric moments work so well. Of course, it is also helped by the fact that the creatures look very real (likely due to Nolan's persistence in using practical effects as much as possible). However, all of these elements working together result in a fantastical cinematic experience that shouldn't be missed.
An all-star cast that delivers
It is no secret that The Odyssey is stacked with many iconic actors. Matt Damon absolutely delivers as Odysseus, showcasing an impressive range for the character that goes from calm and wise to straight-up terrifying. However, one of the biggest highlights of the film as a whole was Robert Pattinson as Antinous.
If I'm being completely honest, I completely hated everything about Antinous: the way he talked, his mannerisms, and his cowardice. This only speaks highly about Pattinson's exceptional performance and his ability to completely turn to the dark side to become an outstanding villain. The Odyssey needed an iconic big bad, and Pattinson definitely delivered.
Similarly, Anne Hathaway does an incredible job bringing Penelope to life. There's one particular sequence where she absolutely steals the spotlight by expressing so much emotion on the screen in so little time. Furthermore, Tom Holland, Zendaya, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong'o, and absolutely everyone involved in The Odyssey deserve their flowers.
Verdict
Overall, The Odyssey is an amazing film filled with breathtaking set pieces, amazing performances, an emotional and visceral score, and a fantastic story that likes to jump back and forth in time. Perhaps its biggest flaw is how brief and quick some major events of the source material are on the big screen. But when one of the only few criticisms about a movie is that audiences could've seen more of it, then you know it did something incredibly right.
The Odyssey is now playing in theaters.
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