'The Odyssey' Review
- Connor Petrey
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 28 minutes ago
Release Date: 07/17/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Adventure. Drama. Fantasy.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Universal Pictures.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Dare I admit, Homer’s Odyssey was not something I read in school, nor is it a poem I’ve brought myself to read outside of those years… so going into Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey I was pretty open to whatever was going to come my way. And for a 2 hr and 52 minute runtime, this epic was exactly that, epic.
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For those like me who are unfamiliar, the story follows King Odysseus of Ithaca as he leads his soldiers into Troy through the notorious Trojan horse ambush. As Troy is defeated, Odysseus takes his men and attempts to journey home, unaware of the treachery that lies ahead. All the while, Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, has become wary of sitting around for his father’s return; he leads the few who are still loyal on a quest to locate his King.
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The visuals depicting the legendary tales of Odysseus’ journey are truly stunning on every level with Hoyte van Hoytema returning as Nolan’s DP. The scale of the ocean during their rough transit and the vast islands they land on, with each bringing its own identity to the film, highlights the brilliance of the plan behind every otherworldly shot. The most breathtaking of which takes place during a looming night at sea with a shroud of lightning illuminating the violent current around the crew.
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The editing on the other hand, while supposedly accurate to the source, comes across as choppy storytelling. Jumping from timeline to timeline to timeline with little trepidation of overwhelming the viewer. This is where the film loses some of its ultimate effect as the pacing fails the narrative.
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The entirety of the impressive cast dissolves into their characters, with Damon, Holland, Hathaway, Pattinson and Patel forging their own path in this lengthy epic. Damon encompasses that of a man through decades of life, lost and looking for a path home. Odysseus’ mysterious aura and, at times, self-indulgent leadership make for a questionable guided hand. The audience witnesses the highs and lows of the treacherous voyage, with the luck of the gods not always in their favor.
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Notably Holland stands as a delightful surprise as beyond Spider-Man, he has not managed to sell himself as a dramatic actor and his casting here came with a certain wariness. Fortunately, as Telemachus, he delivers a triumphant performance of a man wanting to honor his home, his estranged father and his mother’s wellbeing.
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People angry about historical inaccuracies need to go and yell at the clouds because this is a film about sirens, cyclops, giants and gods, so inaccuracies are very much allowed.
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Speaking of which, the supernatural beings of this world are truly a sight to behold with some designs that come as an unprecedented surprise coming from such a (relatively) grounded filmmaker as Nolan. They can cause a bit of shock and awe upon their first appearances, but after the initial effect wears off, the world of The Odyssey comes into its element.
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While the 3 hour runtime can be daunting, for those willing to immerse themselves into the lore of Homer’s Odyssey will be pleasantly surprised with the end result. While it’s truly a marvel to see on the big screen just based on common knowledge of the narrative, it’s unlike anything Nolan has put together before and that can be seen as both a positive and negative. The fact that Nolan was able to adapt a 500+ page work into a film of this magnitude, with such a vast translation across the world, is quite a feat. It may not rival masterworks like Interstellar or Inception, but it is certainly not a blemish on his overarching filmography.