Living With B

Title: The Odyssey
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenplay by Christopher Nolan
Based on Homer’s The Odyssey
Release Date: July 17, 2026
Runtime: 2h 53m
Genre: Action, Fantasy

plot details

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, embarks on a perilous journey to return home after the fall of Troy in the Trojan War. Crossing the Mediterranean Sea alongside his surviving soldiers, they soon find themselves battling not only the relentless elements, but an array of deadly obstacles and mythical creatures along the way.

my thoughts

Outside of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday, The Odyssey was easily one of my most anticipated movies of 2026 and for good reason.

I’m a massive Christopher Nolan fan. My introduction to his work was The Dark Knight, and ever since, I’ve been steadily watching through his filmography. There really isn’t another director working today who lives up to the massive hype and anticipation quite like Nolan. Beyond that, The Odyssey was especially exciting for me because it’s a classic text I spent time studying during my undergraduate, so seeing it brought to life on this scale made my theatre education feel completely justified.

Nolan opens the film not with the Odyssey itself, but with a framing story that sets up the overarching importance of narrative and the art of storytelling. It’s a brilliant way to show how stories can deceive and liberate us, comfort and disturb us, split us apart and bind us together. The narrator, surprisingly played well by Travis Scott, tells the tale of the fearless warrior Odysseus (Matt Damon) and the fabled Trojan Horse.

We’re dropped directly into the middle of the story (in media res) rather than strictly at the beginning. I appreciate this way of storytelling as it sets us up on a non-linear structure. If you’re a casual viewer or maybe don’t have much knowledge on The Odyssey, I’d recommend checking out a quick overview on Britannica’s guide to Homer’s The Odyssey before heading into the theatre. Nolan’s deliberate pacing makes everything feel seamless. It also helps that Denver summed up the core plot for me in the simplest way possible: “Dad is lost. Boy goes look for dad. Mom may or may not be remarried.” The simple summary was really all I needed to stay anchored in the story.

The cast list is extensive and packed with heavy hitters: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Mia Goth, Jon Bernthal, and Travis Scott. Although initially worried about such a large cast with heavy hitting names, I was pleasently surrpised by how a cast of big named actors told the story. Odysseus is portaryed as a deeply loving husband to Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and a fiedcely caring father to Telemachus (Tom Holland), all while reminaing a revered king to his subjects. Through intricate flashbacks and oral storytelling, the film recounts the ten agonizing years Odysseus and his men spent stuck in the quagmire, the clastrophobic days inside the Trojan Horse alongside Menelaus (Jon Bernthal), and the treacherous voyage home.

What makes The Odyssey so breathtaking is its sheer scale, the gracefulness with which it moves between different time periods, and the tactful imagery. Nolan’s commitment to practical effects and a visceral sound design draws in the audiance and makes you forget that it’s almost a three hour movie. The practical effects lend a heavy, tangible weight to every sequence, especially during the body horror moments when Odysseus’s men fall int Cirec’s trap.

I also appreciate that while the conquering of Troy is brutal, it never feels like senseless violence for the sake of shock value. Instead, it offers a grounded, raw look at war that pieces together Odysseus’s fractured memories, the storyteller’s framing, and Menelaus’s firsthand experience into a single, cohesive narrative.

Despite my better judgement, the film concludes on a surprisingly emotional and happy note. Penelope is finally reunited with her long-lost husband, and Telemachus gets the father he has dreamed of his whole life. In a bittersweet resolution, Odysseus willingly prepares to go into exile with his wife, leaving a matures Telemachus behind to take the throne as King.

final thoughts

Holland, this is monumental filmmaking at its finest. If you loves the sweeping scale of The Brutalist, The Odyssey is an absolute must-see on the biggest screen possible.

let’s chat!

Did you catch the film in full IMAX 70mm, or are you like us and watched it in a regular-smegular theatre?