Movie Review Odyssey (saw with family)

Christopher Nolan’s 2026 adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon.

Quick facts

Category	Details
Director	Christopher Nolan
Runtime	2 hours, 52 minutes
Rating	R for violence and some language
Genre	Mythological adventure, action and fantasy
Release	July 17, 2026
Main cast	Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya and Lupita Nyong’o

I saw The Odyssey, and I was genuinely excited going into it. My son had already read the book, and I had read it in college, so it was especially meaningful for us to experience the story together on the big screen. We were both curious to see how the movie would bring such a legendary and complex journey to life.

The film gave us plenty to talk about afterward—what stayed true to the original story, what was changed for the screen, and how differently we each connected with the characters. For me, it was also fun to revisit a story I had not thought deeply about since college, while hearing my son’s fresh perspective as a more recent reader. It made the movie feel like more than entertainment; it became a shared experience across two generations.

The story — no major spoilers

After winning the Trojan War, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, tries to sail home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. What should be a return voyage becomes a prolonged struggle against hostile seas, monsters, temptation, angry gods and Odysseus’s own pride.

At home, Penelope is surrounded by suitors who assume Odysseus is dead and want to take his throne. Telemachus must grow from a protected young man into someone capable of defending his family and kingdom.

Nolan reportedly does not restrict the screenplay exclusively to Homer’s Odyssey. He incorporates material and context from The Iliad, The Aeneid and Agamemnon to explain the Trojan War, the Greek leaders and the consequences awaiting Odysseus at home.

1. The scale and cinematography

This appears to be Nolan’s biggest visual accomplishment. It is the first feature filmed entirely with large-format IMAX film cameras, using real ships, open seas, constructed sets and extensive location photography rather than making the world feel like actors standing against digital backgrounds.

What was awesome:

• The Trojan War sequences

• Odysseus’s ship and ocean scenes

• The Cyclops encounter

• The depiction of Hades

• The physical size and danger of the landscape

• The film’s unexpectedly frightening mythological sequences

The important point is that the movie reportedly does not merely look expensive. The practical filmmaking creates weight: the water feels dangerous, the ships feel vulnerable and the creatures seem to occupy the same physical world as the actors. Premiere reactions describe the production design and action as breathtaking, while also noting that Nolan embraces genuine horror more than expected.

2. Matt Damon as Odysseus

Damon plays Odysseus as more than a straightforward heroic warrior. He is intelligent, resilient and commanding, but also proud, manipulative and emotionally damaged by war.

That complexity is important because Odysseus is not traditionally a spotless hero. He survives through strategy and deception, yet some of his choices endanger the people traveling with him. Early reactions place Damon among the film’s strongest elements, with some awards commentators already considering him a possible Best Actor contender.

This may be one of Damon’s most physically demanding performances. The production involved real ships, difficult weather and months of location filming, which should help his exhaustion and desperation feel convincing rather than manufactured.

3. Robert Pattinson may steal the movie

Pattinson plays Antinous, the most threatening and manipulative of Penelope’s suitors. While Odysseus struggles to return, Antinous attempts to dominate Penelope, intimidate Telemachus and position himself as the new ruler of Ithaca.

This apparently gives the movie a strong human villain in addition to its gods and monsters. Several early viewers singled Pattinson out as the film’s scene-stealer, describing his performance as creepy, entertaining and completely committed to the character’s cruelty. Nolan characterized the performance as Pattinson unleashing his “inner Alan Rickman.”

4. Anne Hathaway gives the spectacle an emotional center

As Penelope, Hathaway is not simply waiting passively for her husband. Her character must protect her household, resist political pressure and keep the suitors from taking control while living with uncertainty about whether Odysseus is alive.

Early reactions strongly praise Hathaway. Her storyline appears to provide the patience, grief and loyalty that balance the violence and spectacle of Odysseus’s journey.

5. Tom Holland gets a genuine coming-of-age story

Holland plays Telemachus, Odysseus and Penelope’s son. His storyline concerns growing up without his father and deciding whether he can challenge the men occupying his home.

The role reportedly allows Holland to be vulnerable without remaining helpless. Early reactions praise his performance, and the father-son relationship appears to be one of the film’s key emotional components. Holland has described the picture as an action-adventure on a huge scale that still preserves intimacy between the characters.

6. The gods and monsters are treated seriously

Zendaya plays Athena, the goddess who assists Odysseus, while the story includes the Cyclops, Circe, Calypso, the Sirens and the influence of Poseidon.

The early response suggests Nolan has not turned these characters into light superhero-style figures. The supernatural portions apparently feel mysterious, threatening and sometimes disturbing. The Cyclops, in particular, is reportedly treated as a character rather than merely a giant monster waiting to be defeated.

ody

Weaknesses

1. The first portions may feel structurally clunky

Homer’s poem contains numerous islands, monsters, gods, flashbacks and stories within stories. Compressing that into 172 minutes inevitably creates transitions that may feel abrupt.

The most notable qualified early reaction came from IndieWire’s David Ehrlich, who reportedly considered the movie too clunky to rank among Nolan’s absolute best, although he said the final act rewards the long journey.

That suggests the film may occasionally feel like several major episodes joined together rather than one consistently smooth narrative.

2. The modern dialogue and American accents may distract some viewers

Nolan deliberately rejected the traditional Hollywood approach in which nearly every ancient character speaks with a formal British accent. The film uses colloquial dialogue and prominent American accents, even from British actors.

The intention is to make the people feel immediate and human rather than like distant museum figures. However, some viewers may find modern expressions jarring within an ancient Greek setting. Nolan has acknowledged that this was a conscious risk.

3. It is long and likely exhausting

At nearly three hours, the movie covers war, family conflict, monsters, shipwrecks, temptation, death and political revenge. Even strong early reactions suggest this is not a casual or lightweight adventure.

The runtime may be justified by the amount of story, but younger viewers and people who struggle with lengthy films should expect an intense experience rather than a fast, simple fantasy movie. ( my 13 year loved it and never movied around)

4. The enormous cast may leave some characters underdeveloped

The ensemble includes major performers playing Athena, Penelope, Telemachus, Antinous, Helen, Calypso, Circe, Menelaus and Agamemnon. Even with almost three hours, not everyone can receive the same depth.

The film will probably work best when viewed as Odysseus’s journey and Telemachus’s maturation—not as an equal showcase for every famous cast member.

Is it faithful to Homer?

It appears to be faithful in themes and major characters, but not literal in structure.

The core ideas remain:

• The desire to return home

• The psychological cost of war

• Loyalty between spouses

• The danger of pride

• Hospitality and the mistreatment of strangers

• The difference between intelligence and wisdom

• A son growing into adulthood

• The temptation to abandon responsibility

A classical historian quoted after seeing the film twice called it the finest cinematic adaptation of a Greek myth he had seen and said it both honored Homer and created something new from the source.

Readers should nevertheless expect Nolan to combine texts, reorganize events and create a more unified cinematic structure rather than reproduce every episode exactly as it appears in the poem.

Is it appropriate for children?

This is not being marketed as a children’s mythological adventure.

The movie is officially rated R for violence and some language. Early reactions also mention disturbing horror elements and genuinely unsettling sequences. The full Common Sense Media breakdown is not scheduled to appear until the film’s release.

My practical recommendation:

• Under 13: Not recommended.

• Ages 13–15: Parent should wait for the detailed content guide or see it first.

• Older mature teens: Potentially appropriate, especially if they know the poem and can handle strong war and monster violence.

• Adults: Expect graphic intensity rather than a family-friendly version of Greek mythology.

The R rating appears to be centered on violence and language, not on the movie being primarily sexual.

Best way to watch it

This is clearly designed as a theatrical experience. IMAX 70mm is the ideal presentation, followed by full-size laser IMAX, standard IMAX or Dolby Cinema.

For the Bay Area, the AMC Metreon in San Francisco and Regal Hacienda Crossings in Dublin are among the locations equipped for the rare 70mm IMAX presentation, although many Metreon opening screenings sold out well in advance.

Because the movie was photographed completely in IMAX, a regular auditorium may crop portions of the image and lessen the scale—but the story should still function outside the premium format.

Overall early verdict

Provisional rating: 3½ out of 5

The Odyssey appears to be: in my opion.

• One of Nolan’s greatest visual accomplishments

• A serious, adult interpretation of Greek mythology

• More frightening and violent than some audiences may expect

• Anchored by Damon, Hathaway and Holland

• Nearly stolen by Pattinson’s villain

• Occasionally clunky because of the enormous amount of story

• Worth seeing in a theater rather than waiting to stream

It may not be Nolan’s most perfectly structured film, but it sounds like his largest and most purely adventurous. The spectacle attracts attention, yet the homecoming, marriage and father-son story appear to give the film its emotional purpose.

Bottom line: For adults and mature older teens who enjoy Nolan, Greek mythology or large-scale historical adventures, this looks like a must-see. Families expecting something comparable to Percy Jackson should take the R rating seriously and wait for a complete scene-by-scene parental guide.

I enjoyed it!