Nolan powerfully captures the gravitas of the poem onto the silver screen in a spectacle like no other […], but he is also not perfect.
Three years after his Oscar-winning feature Oppenheimer (2023) took audiences, critics and the box office by storm, Christopher Nolan returns with his adaptation of one of the oldest surviving works of Western literature – The Odyssey (2026). Eight minutes shy of three hours, he attempts to encapsulate the grandeur of Odysseus' epic journey across Poseidon's seas back to his home Ithaca, that was first told almost 2,700 years ago. On paper, the film should be a sure-fire hit, sitting at the top of the list of the most anticipated movies of the year. However, the reality is more disappointing.
At a time when Zeus' law is honored and bronze plate armor is worn, Odysseus (Matt Damon) travels from island to island facing new trials and tribulations after his victory in Troy using the infamous Trojan horse. From tricking a cyclops, resisting the temptations of sirens, and facing the wrath of the sea, Odysseus and his men are tested to their absolute limits in their quest homebound while his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) eagerly await their return.
Damon takes on the crushing weight Odysseus holds in his stride, capturing the inner turmoil he carries for his men within a brooding stare. He excels in conveying how malleable his mindset on morality is as the narrative unfolds, breaking down what it means to be a general with a conscience. Yet Damon did not bring anything remarkable to his performance that makes you believe that only he could have played Odysseus. He does exactly what is required of him, nothing more.
Telemachus offered Holland the opportunity to break free from the shackles of his Peter Parker persona after several failed attempts in Cherry (2021), Uncharted (2022) and The Devil All the Time (2020), yet he still struggled to showcase the range he can offer as an actor. The performance felt one-dimensional – failing to sell the believability of Telemachus' internal struggle and refusing to carry the character through an arc that was engaging to watch.
The star-studded cast does not end there, with the likes of Jon Bernthal, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page, Benny Safdie and more donning the screen. At times, it gets utterly overwhelming with each new character being a face you recognise, only appearing for a minuscule amount of screen time, fighting to make their presence justified. For a film with a 172-minute runtime, everyone from the supporting cast felt surprisingly under-utilized and unimpactful.
Samantha Morton is the exception with her bone-chilling portrayal of the sorceress Circe. Her quiet dominance and deceitfulness commands every scene she is in – often with very few words. The character breathes morality into the story at a time it desperately needs it, cutting through the self-righteous demeanor of Odysseus' troops. Morton is by far the standout performance of the film.
If there is one vice Nolan is known for, it is his inability to write female characters well, and The Odyssey is no different. Hathaway's Penelope aspires to be strong and reclaim the agency that she sorely lacks within the source material, yet it never materialises, coming off as contrived. In particular, there is a sequence in which she lashes out at not being taken seriously as sitting queen for over 20 years – an outburst of resentment that escalates without warning and de-escalates just as fast. The audience has not seen her do more than simply weave and sit behind a lattice screen before this, and she continues to do the same after, so how can we really take her claim to authority seriously? It is all implied. Such a disservice to Hathaway, who is more than capable of getting Penelope there with the right story.
In a similar vein, Athena (Zendaya), Helen / Clytemnestra (Lupita Nyong'o) and Calypso (Charlize Theron) all suffer the symptom of being poorly written. Athena could have weighed on Odysseus' conscience more, with her words having a more direct impact on his actions than they did. Helen has an earnest moment with Telemachus that could have been explored further with Penelope. Calypso was simply used as an excuse as to why Odysseus has yet to return, not nearly as manipulative as the temptress nymph she is supposed to be.
Despite this, Nolan so powerfully captures the gravitas of the poem onto the silver screen in a spectacle like no other. The behemoth storytelling plays to his strengths in what could be easily labelled as an unadaptable source material. The final act sent shivers, goosebumps, and adrenaline down my spine all at the same time – written and directed extraordinarily. There is a reason why Nolan is as revered as he is.
The technical calibre is unmatched. Practical effects, production design, cinematography, score – you name it, it was executed to perfection. The only decision that, in places, felt difficult was the full-frame IMAX use throughout. There is no denying that Nolan, alongside Hoyte van Hoytema and the late David Keighley, made cinematic history with the ability to completely film with 70mm IMAX without ADR; however, there is something to be said about using the full-frame IMAX as a tool to warrant scale versus in a film's entirety.
Oftentimes you catch yourself enamoured by the visual feast of vast oceans, gigantic creatures, and mighty battles laid before you, while other times the scale can be rather distracting. Used right, it can invoke powerful emotions in the viewers. There is a reason why the Juke Joint scene in Sinners (2025) and the Arena Entrance scene in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) are as talked about as they are now.
Christopher Nolan is undeniably one of this generation's greatest filmmakers. He is capable of making larger-than-life films that turn into cinematic events, captivating the world with his illustrious storytelling prowess. However, he is also not perfect and can make films that are not always the highest rated, superseding its predecessor. The Odyssey falls into that category – simply not as succinct and polished as his previous work.
The Odyssey is now playing in theatres.
Image Courtesy of Universal
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