THE ODYSSEY (2026) MOVIE REVIEW

Joshua Lightfoot

7/20/26

172 minutes

‍ ‍One of the most highly anticipated movies of the year is here. Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY will no doubt be an end-of-the-year contender and will easily sweep the Oscars in nominations across the board. This is the type of movie you go into if you want to feel immersed. I left feeling far from disappointed. What an unforgettable time this was.

‍ ‍The Odyssey has put me in a difficult place. How do I describe what this movie is about? I’m going to do my best. The Trojan war that took place around the thirteenth century which pitted the Greeks against the city of Troy has ended. Odysseus, the Greek King of Ithaca (played by Matt Damon), along with his surviving army now must travel back home. What follows is a journey that lasts several years by foot and by sea. Their voyage comes to several halts when they encounter monsters, witches, a whirlpool, and even a giant cyclops.

Back at home, Penelope, the wife of King Odysseus (played by Anne Hathaway) is convinced that her husband is dead. She must now pick a new husband, much to Telemachus’ dismay, who is the son of Penelope and Odysseus (who is played by Tom Holland). The lead suiter is Antinous (played by Robert Pattinson), who is a self-centered sleazeball. It all comes down to who is man enough to string Odysseus’ bow and fire an arrow through a tiny opening of axe heads that are tied together and lined up in a row. A talent only the King was able to do.

The cast is large and impressive. When you look at the theatrical poster and see all the big names, you’re reminded of those awful paycheck movies from the 2010’s (see posters for New Year’s Eve from 2011 and Valentine’s Day from 2010 and you’ll know what I’m talking about). Those movies are sloppy and underutilized many of their cast members. Many characters in The Odyssey are only given about 5 minutes of screentime. However, you can see that these figures are carefully calculated in placement, and the actors make their moments count.

Of all the supporting performances, I was most impressed by John Leguizamo (playing Eumaeus). Transforming himself into a blind and elderly, yet faithful servant left me quite captivated. If there is one place I would like to see any Oscar Nomination for acting, it would have to be for Mr. Leguizamo’s Supporting Performance. Samantha Morton (who plays Circe) is in one particularly memorable scene that sticks with you. It’s both haunting and visceral. There is a very good chance that we will see a nomination for Anne Hathaway, who gives her best performance on screen since Les Misérables back in 2012. I also want to mention a fleeting scene that involves Elliot Page that just might be my favorite segment in the entire film. It’s brief but deep and impactful.

I’m getting ahead of myself mentioning the Oscars since we are only in July, but I was so awestruck by the technical achievements this movie displays that I’ll make one thing clear; The Odyssey will be an Awards frontrunner. This is an easy lock for the craft categories such as Editing, Cinematography, Sound, Score, Costume Design, Visual Effects, Casting, Production Design; this will be walking away with a few trophies. We’ll see if it gets a nomination for Adapted Screenplay as well. Director Christopher Nolan was already given his flowers for directing Oppenheimer in 2023, I can easily see Nominations for Picture and Director, but it’s too early to tell if those are guaranteed wins.

I understand Christopher Nolan much prefers film over digital, one of the few filmmakers fighting to keep it alive. I was lucky enough to see The Odyssey on 70mm in a standard auditorium. No IMAX 70mm near me unfortunately, but still rare to see any movie this way these days. I was extremely pleased with the overall presentation. High in detail, beautiful texture, vibrant, and massive in scale.

Not everyone is going to get the option to view this on film. I’m seeing bookings on every premium screen imaginable; IMAX, SuperScreen, UltraScreen, Screen X, 4DX, Dolby. A few co-workers mentioned plans to see it in the Omnimax Theater at the St. Louis Science Center, a giant dome shaped auditorium with a hemispheric screen, for those unfamiliar. It’s unfortunate that the premium screen window is only lasting 2 weeks before Spider-man: Brand New Day takes over. Even more unfortunate, almost all IMAX screenings, even the 10am weekday showtimes at my go-to theater are close to sold out. If you plan to see it, you don’t want to be stuck watching it in a closet. For a movie like this, go big or go home. I highly recommend seeing this on the biggest screen possible.

‍ ‍OVERALL

‍ This is what movie theaters are made for. The Odyssey carries a 3-hour runtime, and it zips by super quick. Another cinematic masterpiece from director Christopher Nolan who you can tell is a fan of the source material and truly wanted to tell this story. Will definitely be a top Oscar contender. Don’t sit on it, see it on a premium screen. An absolute spectacle. One of the best movies of the year.

RATING

***** out of 5