Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey is the greatest epic ever put on film.
When we cover films, our hosts will ask us for a few words and our initial impression of a movie. The opening above was my response to The Odyssey in its entirety. I could not formulate a thorough response without needing pages to work with…so here we go.
Inspired by the modern translation of Emily Wilson, a world-renowned expert in classic literature, The Odyssey tackles the Homer epic with a contemporary delivery set in a more grounded ancient world. Substituting the romanticism and grandiosity, the world knew with humanity and neutrality. It strips the westernizing of the post Trojan war world and more honestly represents the hardships and the fallout from the most famous military action in the history of the world…even though it has always been fiction.
As many were, I was concerned how the narrative would feel with current terms delivered within the ancient Mediterranean. A particular line in the trailer gave me pause, but Nolan’s adaptation fits so well, without breaking the illusion, that those concerns quickly subsided. The raw emotion is more palpable than if it were delivered classically. It feels more personal without being dismissive of history.
Similarly, Matt Damon is a phenomenal actor, but making a quintessential Boston guy one of the most famous Greeks ever was a risk. One that has an incredible chance of landing Damon his first acting Oscar. His performance has layers that would make an onion jealous. No small feat when the narrative covers decades and could be considered a collection of short stories following Odysseus and his men. Admittedly, I have always been a Damon fan, but this is the best work of his career.
Tom Holland continues to smash every role put in front of him and Telemachus is no exception. The anger of youth grown into the wise beyond his years young man is something that grabs at the heart and never lets go. I felt his brashness, his honor bound drive for information in the face of harrowing danger and ultimately shattering me on the rocks of emotion at his culmination left me in a puddle of tears. I think I need to apologize to those sitting around me because the raw emotion of that scene had me openly sobbing.
Matching that emotional beat in every sense is Elliott Page. It feels like a Nolan tradition to have a character with very minimal screen time sneak up and punch you right in the chest with the gravity of their scenes and performance (i.e. Oldman in Oppenheimer). Page is magnificent and completely drives the most critical moment of The Odyssey.
Where Holland and Page encapsulate the active duty of honor, John Leguizamo is Atlas holding up the heart of the world throughout the film as teacher and caretaker. Bridging the gap from absent king to “fatherless” son. If I had to pick one supporting actor nomination from The Odyssey, it is Leguizamo easily.
This may be the greatest ensemble of all time as I have hit 500 words without even touching half of the amazing performances in the picture. Anne Hatahaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Himesh Patel, and Benny Safdie are all powerhouse performances in support. In modern cinema, these are the performances that demand further stories, but that won’t be happening here for obvious reasons.
There are two other performances that I wish to highlight for very different reasons.
Robert Pattinson continues to grow as a thespian and might be a little too convincing as the worst of the worst in The Odyssey and I absolutely hated him. He is that good as Antinous, the smarmiest of suitors. It was amazing to see him give a straightforward villain so much depth while not compromising a moment of the character.
With all of those remarkable performances, I would like to address a perfect storm for the casting, translation, and ultimately performance that encapsulates what this version of the story is to me. Our beloved Punisher, Jon Bernthal. The character of Menelaus has been among the most altered from Homer’s poems. A victim, a war monger, a cretin, etc. However, this modern telling allows the character to be more human. It does not strip away his King of the Spartan warriors presence but adds a post-war exhaustion where the hate has subsided and all that is left is victorious, broken people. Equal measures respectful teacher and iron fisted tyrant. It is almost unfortunate that there isn’t more from him, but that would also be too much.
I know there might be readers screaming at me now. “You started about it being epic and we haven’t heard a bit about that!”
Between the script and the performances, that could be enough to lock in a best picture nomination, but we are talking about Christopher Nolan! I hate using terms like epic as a description, but there has never been a film more worthy of the word. The scope and visuals throughout The Odyssey do not balance on a razors edge, it treats it like a balance beam in the Olympics. Simultaneously bringing the audience into the most intimate of moments while the entire world is in the scene. Horror elements play within action sequences. Romantic exchanges dance past suspense. One of the challenges with adapting such known stories is that the audience likely already knows what is next. Blending themes with some incredible editing kept me on my toes because the edge of my seat disappeared. Independent of knowing this is getting a best director nomination, I really want to know if a certain director choice was a shot at certain individuals.
I would say that The Odyssey needs to be seen immediately, but there might be some trouble finding tickets based on VERY justified demand. See it as soon as you can in the best premium option available. See the 70 mm IMAX if you can, but Nolan has also made a film that does not require it as much as it enhances it. The Odyssey is the best film I have seen in 2026, but it also is a contender beyond this year and into history. Perfectly suited for a story that has survived thousands of years.