The first wave of reviews praises the movie’s immense visual ambition, Matt Damon‘s performance as Odysseus, and the filmmaker’s bold reimagining of Homer’s classic.
Critics hail Christopher Nolan’s bold vision for ‘The Odyssey’
Adapted from Homer’s ancient Greek epic, “The Odyssey” stars Damon as the king of Ithaca, following his perilous journey home after the Trojan War while his family fights to preserve the throne in his absence. The ensemble cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton and Charlize Theron. The production marks Nolan’s first feature shot entirely with IMAX 70 mm cameras and is one of the biggest projects of his career.
Among the strongest endorsements came from The Telegraph, where Robbie Collin described the title as “the best of the year so far,” adding that Nolan has transformed one of literature’s oldest stories into “a vote of confidence in blockbuster cinema’s future.” That enthusiasm was echoed by The Guardian, whose Peter Bradshaw celebrated the movie’s scale and craftsmanship, praising its “thrilling ambition, boldness, seriousness, generosity and flair,” along with Hoyte van Hoytema’s striking photography and the picture’s massive battle sequences.
IGN’s Scott Collura also delivered a positive verdict, calling the hit “a must-watch cinematic experience.” While noting that some thematic ideas could have been explored further, he highlighted Nolan’s willingness to embrace the stranger aspects of Homer’s poem, blending mythology with horror, existential dread and moments of unexpected humor. He also singled out the supporting ensemble as one of the film’s greatest strengths alongside Nolan’s additions to the source material.
Empire focused on the sheer scale of the production while pointing to one of its most surprising elements. John Nugent wrote that the movie reaches “a magnitude few modern directors could ever realistically imagine,” but argued that its quieter character moments are just as memorable. He also singled out Samantha Morton’s portrayal of Circe, describing the sequence as the closest Nolan has come to making “full-on horror,” before concluding with a simple verdict: “Nobody does it better.”
The overwhelmingly positive reception continues the remarkable momentum surrounding “The Odyssey,” which has already generated record-breaking advance ticket sales and enormous anticipation ahead of its July 17 release.