Christopher Nolan’s Epic Adds Humanity And New Layers To The Greek Tale

Matt Damon is Odysseus in THE ODYSSEY, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.

Melinda Sue Gordon

When Christopher Nolan first announced in December 2024 that he had been writing a film adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek tale, The Odyssey, it made sense that he would be able to tackle it after the success of his 2023 Academy Award-winning picture, Oppenheimer (which also won six other Academy Awards, including Best Director).

Anticipation grew for the film as casting news was slowly released, which included acclaimed and award-winning actors (some of whom were frequent collaborators with Nolan) like Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron.

With a reported budget of $250 million, Universal Pictures announced the film would be shot entirely in IMAX film, the first movie ever to do so. Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema used a Keighley IMAX camera that was roughly 30% quieter and employed sound-suppression blimps wrapped around it.

Just like that, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey became 2026’s most anticipated film, selling out in IMAX 70MM a year before its premiere – and, quite honestly, it deserves to be.

The Odyssey is a visual masterpiece filled with grand production and set designs, detailed costumes, and the most unsettling action sequences. Like Oppenheimer, Odysseus (Damon) is tormented by his weapon of destruction – the Trojan Horse, resulting in the deaths of the people of Troy, his fellow soldiers and men and countless others who suffered from the effects of war.

Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey isn’t an exact scene-by-scene portrayal of Homer’s tale—that would be too long and rather complicated. The film is 172 minutes long because anything over three hours would strain the physical IMAX projectors. The changes and adjustments made didn’t detract from the overall story and themes Nolan wanted to convey on a deeper, more human level. What would happen if Odysseus saw what war truly was? What if he realizes this would be his legacy?

The film follows the Greek hero (and the King of Ithaca) on his 10-year journey home from the Trojan War, and he encounters many Gods, witches, and mythical creatures and monsters. His goal is to return home with his men and reunite with his wife, Penelope (Hathaway), and their son, Telemachus (Holland). In the meantime, his loyal wife must deal with volatile suitors who demand she remarry so that the island will have a King.

The film opens as it does in the books: the ballad of Odysseus, the creator of the Trojan Horse, is the reason the Greeks won the Trojan War and caused Troy’s fall. It has been 20 years since Odysseus left for war, and the boorish suitors have gathered in the King of Ithaca’s home, mistreating Telemachus and the faithful servants of Odysseus and Penelope. Though Telemachus is targeted by the suitors, he sets out to learn what happened to his father.

The story is told in a non-linear narrative, jumping between different parts of the past and present-day Odysseus as he recounts his “hero’s tale” of the Trojan War and the sacrifices made because of it. It also intercuts with Telemachus’ expedition and the villainous and shrewd Antinous (played impeccably by Pattinson).

Though Nolan does a good job with the switch, there are pacing issues. Some parts felt like the scene dragged on longer than it should have, especially with the many choppy edits of the ships and magnificent views. The oceanic scenes are absolutely striking, but are immediately cut to a different angle before it can be fully appreciated for its beauty. The first two suffered the most from the abrupt edits.

At times, the travel sequences for Odysseus and his men felt dizzying as they cut from one viewpoint to another, which, with the large film format, made their plight feel more immersive. But as the acts continued, it felt as if the first act edits were sacrificed to fully nail the second and final act.

In between, as the monsters, creatures and witches are introduced, the film begins to shift from a dramatic epic to a haunting and grotesque horror.

From the gruesome deaths at the hands of the cyclops and the son of Poseidon, Polyphemus, to the cruel, monstrous transformation of Odysseus’ men into animals, Nolan nails the feeling of unease and terrifying dread. It is especially impressive to learn that all of these were done using practical effects. Samantha Morton’s portrayal of Circe was intense as she shifted from a fearful villager to a misanthropic yet sympathetic sorceress who began turning the soldiers into pigs, like a scene from 1990’s The Witches. The hair and make-up designers deserve recognition for the film, but particularly for this nightmarish scene.

The mood and genre again shift as if it were a different story, into a war film (like Nolan’s Dunkirk), as the film touches on war and conquest, especially as it replays Odysseus’ account of the Trojan War and the breaking of the siege through the Trojan Horse. There were many sacrifices made to ensure the plan worked, including the lives of his men – one of whom was Sinon (Page), a young boy-turned-soldier who died tragically for Odysseus’s plan to succeed.

When they finally did, Odysseus caught glimpses of the destruction, deaths, and pain – as he faced the consequences of his action, including being confronted by a dead Sinon.

The war and fight sequences, particularly in the final act, are a masterclass in storytelling, direction, sound, music, set design and action. All of which feels grand in scale and heart-pounding, as if we were there (which helped with the 70mm screen and composer Ludwig Göransson’s impressive score).

During the war, the tension could be cut with a knife, as the pounding drum sound felt like heart palpitations. The action sequences, which range from epic war moments to a full John Wick-like action scene, were well choreographed and gripping.

As Odysseus continued his journey and his determination to save whatever men he had left, there is an understanding of his eventual PTSD and shame of returning, since he is no longer the man he was when he left. Instead, he is filled with shame, which was explored in the emotional Sirens scene (in which Damon was fantastic), as Odysseus recounts, “The sirens do not tell you what you want and can’t have or what you had and lost, but all the things that I failed to keep.

Damon, physically, mentally and emotionally, is Odysseus. Though it didn’t feel believable that he’s equally in love with Penelope as she is with him, his portrayal of a righteous man who follows “Zeus’ Law,” as well as the idea that he would do right by returning to her, is. But he excels most at conveying the pain and heartache of a man filled with regret, shame, and profound loss.

​Hathaway, Pattinson, Morton, Himesh Patel and John Leguizamo stood out in their performances, breathing refreshing new life into Homer’s epic saga.

While Nolan did address the use of American accents and contemporary speech for the characters, it felt a bit off as they flip-flop between professional terms and more casual ones.

At times, Telemachus would sound proper in his speech, but then say “mom” and “dad” in reference to his parents, which felt out of place.

Though Homer’s theme did not include Odysseus’s realization of doom at his hands, Nolan (and Damon’s excellent performance) provide a lesson that great tales often impose on the audience.

Odysseus is praised for his role in the Trojan War, with his most regrettable achievement immortalized in a ballad. His guilt led him to wander for 10 years, lost in his own pain. It was his resilience and his desire to rectify the wrong that allowed him to return and reclaim his family. It’s a tale that only Nolan could have really told with this massive Hollywood production – and he did it epically. ​

The Odyssey opens in theaters everywhere on July 17.