Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been the talk of the town ever since it was announced that he would take on the iconic Greek story of Odysseus. As Nolan fans know, he’s obsessed with time, and he loves to focus on a journey. While I knew The Odyssey would be a spectacle, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for this.
The Odyssey is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen on the big screen. I’ve now seen it in three formats: 70mm, IMAX 70mm, and Dolby, and I’ll share my thoughts on each later in this review. But across all three formats, this film is stunning.
We all know the story: Odysseus, the Battle of Troy, and the journey home. But what makes this film so special to me is the directing. In a world of AI, CGI, and visual effects, Christopher Nolan relied on practical effects to the point where I truly felt like I was part of the experience. I felt like I was on the boat with Odysseus and his crew trying to make it home. I felt like I was on Circe’s island. I felt the longing. I felt the desire. I felt the pain. The way these moments were directed genuinely touched me and moved me.
I’ve been obsessed ever since seeing The Odyssey with trying to figure out how they shot this movie because it is an absolute spectacle.
I also think the casting choices were incredibly interesting. There were three personal standouts for me.
The first is John Leguizamo, who I thought was just fantastic. He brings so much honesty to the role.
The second is Robert Pattinson, who reminds me so much of Cal from Titanic. Just evil, nasty, rude, and someone you’re immediately hoping bad things happen to. Pattinson is a complete scene stealer, in my opinion. He comes across as so vile from the moment he steps onto the screen. Even the way he delivers some of his lines, “Somebody get these beggars out of here,” stuck with me immediately on my first watch, and now it’s gone viral on TikTok.
And then there’s Lupita Nyong’o. Her role is small, and we don’t see her much, but we’re reminded why she’s an Oscar winning actress. Her casting as Helen of Troy sparked a lot of conversation, but I actually think it was a smart move by Nolan. Helen of Troy is the face that launched a thousand ships, and now she’s launched a thousand conversations online about whether she deserved the role. In a world where so many people in this film look similar, Lupita stands out visually. I actually think that works in the film’s favor because it naturally makes her feel extraordinary. I thought it was a fantastic casting choice.
On my second watch, I appreciated Tom Holland even more. I think he’s the perfect choice for Telemachus, Odysseus’s son. Tom just has this natural boyish charm that works so well here. He lets us watch Telemachus grow from this naive boy who thinks he knows everything into a man who ultimately becomes a king. I was completely charmed by his performance, and if Nolan wasn’t going to cast a newcomer, I think Tom was a fantastic choice.
I also thought Elliot Page was great as Sinon. The sequence where they travel to Hades is one of my favorite scenes in the film, and I thought Page gave a really grounded, emotional performance that elevated that part of the story.
On my second watch, I also realized just how flawed Odysseus is. Essentially, this entire journey is his fault. Instead of following Agamemnon home after Troy, he decides he wants to see more of the world and go on his own journey. But his right hand man, Eurylochus, played by Himesh Patel, is constantly trying to talk sense into him. “Maybe we should leave.” “Are you sure about this?” Time after time after time, Odysseus ignores those warnings and puts his men into impossible situations that ultimately lead to their deaths.
Lastly, I have to talk about the sirens. The Siren sequence is so haunting and so chilling. I think it’s a brilliant directing choice by Nolan that we never actually hear the song. It puts us directly in the shoes of the crew. We never hear it because I imagine it would sound different for every single person. It’s your greatest desire, your wildest dream, everything you’ve ever wanted wrapped into one. It’s an incredibly unsettling scene, and Matt Damon plays it beautifully.
There are really only two things that fall flat for me, which is ultimately why I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars.
And don’t worry, it isn’t Travis Scott. I actually think making the bard a rapper is a really clever choice, and I didn’t find him distracting in the slightest.
For me, Calypso falls a little flat. She kind of just appears on the beach looking like she’s in a perfume ad, and I think there was more that could have been done there to really sell that relationship and the emotional weight of that part of the story.
The other thing is that, for me, it isn’t necessarily the acting that left the biggest impression. It’s the direction. It’s the spectacle. It’s the way this film is shot.
Seeing the Cyclops come to life was incredible. And while we do have Circe’s island, and the film opens with the words, “A Time of Apparent Magic,” I actually think they could have leaned into the fantasy even more. I would’ve loved to spend a little more time in that world because those moments are some of the most visually stunning in the entire film.
I know some people have criticized the use of modern language, but honestly, that didn’t bother me. Maybe that’s because I’m American, but it never took me out of the movie.
More than anything, The Odyssey is a cinematic feat. It feels like a step in the right direction. It gives me hope that filmmakers will continue to chase practical effects, ambitious storytelling, and big screen experiences without compromising on their vision.
I also don’t think the third act gets enough credit. The payoff is massive, and it just keeps pulling you in and pulling you in. For a film that’s almost three hours long, I thought it was paced incredibly well. Not a single scene felt wasted.
My favorite Christopher Nolan film will probably always be Inception. I don’t know if anything will ever top that for me. But after seeing The Odyssey three times in theaters, I can confidently say it has earned a very special place in my heart.
If you have the chance to see this film in theaters, please do. This is exactly the kind of movie the theatrical experience was made for. It’s grand. It’s immersive. It’s emotional. And it’s the kind of filmmaking that reminds you why we fell in love with movies in the first place.
