The Odyssey

by Tyler Glover

Photo: Universal Pictures

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway & Tom Holland 
Rated: R (violence & some language)
Runtime: 2 hours & 52 minutes

 
“Memento.” “Insomnia.” “The Dark Knight.” “Inception.” “Oppenheimer.” 

All of these are brilliant and extraordinary films by Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan. When a director has built up a catalog of films that inspire us, challenge us, and truly take us on journeys we have not experienced before, any new film by them is going to be met with very high expectations and anticipation. When I first heard that Nolan was going to be directing his latest addition, “The Odyssey,” I eagerly awaited the release. This modern interpretation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem could not have been in better hands. Nolan wrote and directed this film and produced it along with his wife, Emma Thomas. The truth is, though, even highly acclaimed directors sometimes have misfires. So, was “The Odyssey” continuing Nolan’s incredible resume or was it just a total and complete disaster? There are quite a lot of disastrous things happening in "The Odyssey,” but the film is anything but a disaster. 

The film begins 20 years after the beginning of the Trojan War. Ithaca has been without its leader, King Odysseus (Matt Damon), who never returned from the war. Many believe him to be dead, but his wife, Penelope (Academy Award-winning Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), still hold out hope. Many suitors have lined up to marry Penelope, but she continues to wait for her husband’s return. This epic shows us what happened to Odysseus and his men right after the ending of the Trojan War and follows their journey to make it back home.  
 
This film is told in a partially non-linear narrative, and it really helps to hold your attention. When you are starting to think the film might have a lull, it picks right back up again. I believe that even during the best films, if you are sitting in the movie theater for three hours, you might be tempted to look at the time to see how much longer the film has. That simply didn’t happen here. For the entire three hours, I was completely glued to the screen with Academy Award-caliber performances, beautiful costumes, breathtaking cinematography, stellar production design and impeccable direction. This is the kind of film you want to go see at the IMAX for sure, as it was intended.

“The Odyssey” will definitely rack up some Academy Award nominations at next year’s ceremony. Best Picture and Best Director are all but assured. The category that would be appalling if it does not win is Best Cinematography for Hoyte van Hoytema. This film gives you some of the most breathtaking views of ancient Greece, cityscapes and beautiful views of the ocean. It also gives big overviews of all of the men and everything they are experiencing. Where this film really excels, though, is how it puts you right into the action with point-of-view shots. There are shots that put you right alongside the warriors in the boats during storms, right beside them through the war, and through spectacularly directed action sequences.  

This film also boasts Academy Award-caliber performances by Damon, Hathaway, Holland, and Samantha Morton (who shows us that you can make an incredible impact even with just 10 minutes of screen time). The film has so many more movie stars, though. As more characters were introduced, I was like, oh! There is Charlize Theron! Zendaya! Elliot Page! Robert Pattinson! The film really had A-list talent to deliver this story.

One criticism this film has been getting is the use of modern language to tell this ancient tale. While I understand wanting to preserve the eloquent language of the past, this film really does make this accessible to today’s audiences. It reminds me of the Bible. Even though there are people who read the King James version, many find the Bible more accessible through more modern translations.  

While I don’t think this is the best Nolan film ever - that is still “The Dark Knight,” it is one of his best films to date. “The Odyssey” is a rare three-hour film that I will be revisiting many more times. It is the best film of 2026, thus far.