The Odyssey | Film

Overview

Script by: Christopher Nolan

Based on: Homer's The Odyssey

Director: Christopher Nolan

Director of Photography: Hoyte van Hoytema

Starring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo, Zendaya, Charlize Theron

Released: July 17, 2026

The story is a well-known epic about Odysseus, King of Ithica, as he journey's home after the Trojan war. Many have adapted this over the years, but none have done it like Christopher Nolan.

This is how you adapt a classic. Nolan taps into the mistakes that can happen as stories are shared as they traditionally were in the Bronze Age. And this creates such a dynamic and engaging experience that the almost 3-hour run time does not feel like it was that long at all.

Recommendation: I think this a story that all can enjoy. It is rated R for the levels of violence and intense scenes that take place. Maybe not the most suitable for tiny movie-goers.

SPOILER WARNING: This reivew contains spoilers. If you wish to remain spoiler free, then do not read past this point.

I love how we get to discover different sides of the story as the film progresses. The first act is cluing us in to who Odysseus (Matt Damon) is as his family remembers him, as we spend so much time in Ithica with the servants (the most loyal one played by John Leguizamo), the suitors (one of which is played by Robert Pattinson), Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and Telemachus (Tom Holland). The second act is more of who those who served with him thought he was. We get to see this through Telemachus going to Sparta to see Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) as well as the pieces of the journey home The third is who Odysseus believes himself to be.

Let's talk about the fact that we never really saw certain characters faces. I think that added a level of mystery to them, but it also showed how little impact they had on Odysseus' story in the big picture. Take Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) for example. Even once his helmet is removed, we don't really see his face. His whole purpose is to take Odysseus away from Ithica so that the journey can exist. You can also argue that he influences how Odysseus chooses to return home - as a begger and not as king. But other than that, what relevance does he have to the main story we are focusing on? Where seeing Menelaus's face feels a little more important as he helped Telemachus which helped Odysseus.

The way Nolan chose to depict the cyclops was different than any way I had seen them be depicted. The eye being practically diagonal as well as the nose not being aligned normally - who would have considered this take? Most of the time you see it as a normal face with just one eye, but with this take it makes it more understandable why you would consider them to be a monster. It's not until the cyclops speaks that you even consider it could be anything other than a human-eating monster.

Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Penelope - you see the grieving potential widow as well as the queen who is trying her absolute best for her people in her king's absence. You also see a mother trying to do what she can until her son can rightfully take over. There are many moments that you see her strength perceived as weakness, but the trial she has set for the suitors is truly a defining moment. She is playing to her audience in saying if you can do this then I will move on as my husband has not returned. But she knows that this is something that truly only Odysseus could do, and it is such an energizing moment when it happens.

There is something about the way Robert Pattinson carried himself in this film that made it really easy to cheer for his failure. Even though you see there is a multitude of suitors, Pattinson plays the primary one and it is obvious from the get-go that he's a social climber/gold digger. And there is so many moments that show the cowardice trying to disguise itself at strength. It was just ridiculously easy to cheer for his failure.

The final fight scene between Odysseus and the suitors - the first thought I had was 'of course he can take on all these guys by himself, he's Jason freaking Bourne.' But there is also so much credibility to Odysseus' abilities based on what we had learned throughout the film. The mirrioring of the moment when Telemachus went to stop the servant who was trying to help the suitors and Odysseus fighting the suitors was such a great moment.

The music that Ludwig Goransson composed for this film supports what happens on screen so beautifully! From what I understand, Nolan insisted that everything was as true to the Bronze Age as they could in terms of instruments and metals used. It really helped you sink into the world that had been created on screen.

This whole experience felt deeply human and spiritual. The way that Odysseus wrestled with the choices he made. The advice to surrender to the gods. Bearing the weight of the knowledge that the gods were only ensuring that he would make it home, but still trying to help his crew make it home. Even seeing the greediness of the crew when they encountered Circe (Samantha Morton) - honestly you see different moments before then, but this encounter truly highlights it - it's a human experience. I think sometimes when we read the classic Greek stories, we forget the honesty that lies within them. We think of the mystical aspects and not the lessons and the emotions that are tucked within them.

The part that felt most impactful to me was when Odysseus was being confronted with his need to control what was happening in front of him. It was through the perceived control that he was repeatedly failing; but once he surrendered to the gods, he was blessed with making it to Ithica. He still had trials once he made it home, but he was at least there instead of still being tossed about at sea.

This is probably my favorite film that Christopher Nolan has ever done. The way he plays with time and connects it to humanity is always so facinating to me. I also enjoy how each time you watch one of his films, you find something you may not have noticed before if you're actively watching - which is the only way I think you can watch his films. I'm sure there will be things that will jump out at me the next time I see this film.