The Odyssey (2026)

This movie had people crying in the theater at one point. I heard multiple people trying to control their sobs. 

*

When I was looking to buy tickets last weekend, I knew I wanted to see this film in IMAX, but the closest IMAX theaters were already almost fully booked. So, I thought, surely there will be less demand midweek. But it turns out that even the Tuesday 10 p.m. screening, the one I went to, was packed.

Who are all these people? I wondered. And why are they so interested in The Odyssey? I still remember being a Graduate Student at the University of Mississippi 25 years ago. One of my jobs then was to assist a Professor with his World Literature class. This is when I first really studied The Odyssey, and while I loved it, I don't remember the undergrads in the class being overly thrilled about it. The story was there on the page, but it doesn't as easily "come to life" as Nolan's vision of it does. 

And so, my thoughts about the audience I was watching the film with were: They're not here for Homer. They're here for Christopher Nolan. Which is fine, of course, but I have also read that the sales of The Odyssey have spiked thanks to this movie. I hope that's the case, and I hope that some people will read or re-read the book with a better appreciation for just how amazing the text can be. It's a much different experience than seeing the film, but it can be equally as rewarding. 

In terms of the film, Nolan takes the story and makes it highly accessible to a modern movie audience. It takes the history and trials of Odysseus, and it humanizes them in a way that makes sense to a modern understanding. Nolan, too, I would add, knows exactly the right way to show the story, and the right way to tell it. You feel completely immersed in Odysseus's experience from beginning to end. 

The casting for each part is carefully selected. Not just for Odysseus, Penelope, but for every single role. People are always going to criticize something, and so I saw people criticize Elliot Page being cast in a part. I also saw people criticize the casting for Helen. But frankly, I just have to shake my head at such criticisms. 

What I worried about was not the casting selections, but rather, how the film would incorporate CGI and the use of special effects, because that could have easily taken me out of this film if handled heavy-handedly. Fortunately, Nolan knows what he is doing. Every effect is seamless. I could look endlessly at the ship on the ocean and never "tell" if it wasn't real, or it was enhanced in some way. Likewise, when Odysseus and his men are in the Cyclops cave, or when they fight "giants," the sequences looks completely real.

And yes, the IMAX experience is the way to go. Not only do the visuals demand it, but the sound system probably enhances the experience 10x. I'm sure I will watch this movie at home, but my surround sound and screen size won't be able to replicate the experience. 

By the end of the movie, we had been taken on a three-hour roller coaster ride. It was after 1 a.m. in the morning, but I think everyone in the movie theater would have been willing to sit there for another two or three hours. When the screen went to black and the words The Odyssey appeared, the audience clapped. It's a weird experience to hear an audience clap for a movie, and it might be the first time I've experienced that since watching Schindler's List in a packed theater near the University of Illinois campus back in 1993.

This has to be the movie of the year. I cannot imagine a movie that will come close to matching its power. And it's such a different vision than, say, previous epics like Troy or Alexander the Great (both of which I want to re-watch just to make sure I'm not overstating the case here... but at least for the moment, I'd have to say that The Odyssey blows both of those out of the water). 

Christopher Nolan has taken his place as the "Steven Spielberg of the 21st century." I mean that as a compliment. In fact, while Spielberg has made a clinker or two in his career, I'm not sure Nolan has. His film career has been impressive from the start, and I'm not sure how he tops this one. Nolan's Odyssey made me feel like even Guillermo del Toro would watch it and be envious at just how well made it is. How can anyone top this film?

Rating 5/5 stars