“The Odyssey” is director Christopher Nolan’s first film since “Oppenheimer” validated his illustrious work in the 21st century with hardware, as he took home two of the film’s seven Academy Awards in 2024. Following a masterpiece isn’t always easy, but Nolan’s latest film brings Homer’s epic poem to life in a gorgeous film in which the sense of scale is always felt, adapting a script as thematically compelling as it is satisfying and supplying enough wonderful performances to populate ancient Greece.
This is the first feature film to be shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film, a method typically reserved for a film’s biggest moments, and the format complements Nolan’s filmmaking. In terms of sheer scope and scale, this is Nolan’s biggest film since “Interstellar” followed reluctant astronaut Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) on an odyssey of his own. The siege of Troy feels massive, a giant cyclops makes Odysseus’s crew seem like ants and the islands Odysseus lands on look never-ending and inhospitable.
Even the quiet moments are meant to feel grand: The close-up shots intentionally leave room around the subject, a decision that lends itself to the sense of loneliness that haunts every character, especially the core family of Matt Damon’s Odysseus, Anne Hathaway’s Penelope and Tom Holland’s Telemachus. The feeling that the film’s framing evokes is a testament to the work of cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema in his fifth collaboration with Christopher Nolan.
Nolan’s strength as a director has always shined in his ability to get stellar performances from his cast, as much as his ability to create a beautiful image, and everyone from the minor roles to the biggest stars are on their A-game. Zendaya as Athena, Elliot Page as Sinon, Samantha Morton as Circe and Benny Safdie as Agamemnon combine for an estimated 20 minutes of screentime, yet all deliver unforgettable moments.
The real main attraction is the aforementioned core three, starting with Damon, who brings Odysseus to life. Every quality that makes him interesting in the poem — his cunning intellect, his hubris and his yearning — is present, and the performance allows for him to have great chemistry with his co-stars, especially Himesh Patel’s Eurylochus. Seeing him recover his memories through the retelling of his journey to Charlize Theron’s Calypso is endlessly entertaining, and his return to his family is incredibly satisfying. This makes for Damon’s most soulful performance since perhaps “Good Will Hunting”.
Hathaway is just as showstopping as Penelope, and her yearning and struggles parallel Odysseus's beautifully. She delivers a monologue late in the film that feels like she’s really unleashing 20 years of frustration, and it just might be a career highlight for her.
On the other end of that monologue is Tom Holland, who is delivering his best career performance as Telemachus. He is perhaps not as impressive as his on-screen parents, but he does a solid job, and the dramatic weight of the third act would flounder without him and his chemistry with the rest of the cast.
Robert Pattinson is as impressive as Damon and Hathaway in his portrayal of the sniveling Antinous. He has emerged as one of the great character actors of the last 10 years, and roles like this show off that talent. He’s every bit as creepy and conniving as the leader of Penelope’s pining potential suitors ought to be. He gets some great line deliveries during the film’s final third in what is his most unsettling performance since “Good Time”. Perhaps his most famous recent role has been as Batman, but he is so compelling as a villain.
These performances complement a script that does take a few creative liberties, but captures the essence of the original poem. Nolan uses Homer’s epic to tell a staunchly anti-war film that works as a great companion piece to “Oppenheimer”. J. Robert Oppenheimer’s bomb changed war forever, but as Nolan tells it, Odysseus’s Trojan Horse and the sacking of Troy changed society forever. The film’s tagline may be “Defy The Gods”, but Odysseus can only succeed when he learns to respect them and their lessons for humanity.
The two films have very similar endings in which our protagonists reflect on the consequences of their actions and the proverbial “Pandora's Box” they’ve opened. However, the Odyssey ends more optimistically than “Oppenheimer”, and perhaps more realistically than the original poem. The ending combines the existentialism of “Oppenheimer” with the satisfaction of “Batman Begins” and the emotional impact of “Interstellar”. It’s beautiful in a uniquely Nolan-esque way.
“The Odyssey” is Nolan’s most ambitious film: The images are beautiful, the scale of the sprawling narrative is felt and the stellar performances from the all-star cast bring this thematically compelling story to life. Odysseus may have been the King of Ithaca, but Christopher Nolan is the king of blockbusters, and “The Odyssey” is the latest jewel in his crown as this masterpiece demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Marley Herndon is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @Dailylobo
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