5 min readNew DelhiJul 15, 2026 09:31 PM IST
After achieving some of contemporary cinema’s biggest milestones, it was perhaps Christopher Nolan’s ‘destiny’ to adapt Homer’s The Odyssey. Under his direction, the ancient Greek epic that has inspired generations of storytellers becomes his most ambitious film yet, pushing the boundaries of filmmaking and IMAX technology.
The film follows battle-weary Odysseus (Matt Damon), king of Ithaca, who embarks on his long journey home to be united with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland) after the Trojan War. The journey home is not going to be easy for Odysseus and his men. Angry gods make their sea voyage arduous with stormy weather. They encounter man-eating monsters, an enormous whirlpool, mellifluous sirens who entice passing sailors, wind that remains stubbornly uncooperative and several other adversities. After surviving all these, what really delays Odysseus’s homecoming and stretches it up to a decade, is the “darkness of victory” he carries in his heart after the deaths and destruction in Troy.
A close look at his body of work makes it evident that Nolan’s cinematic journey has been leading up to this landmark all along. Whether it is Leonard Shelby piecing together his identity in Memento (2000), Bruce Wayne reclaiming Gotham in Batman Begins (2005), Cobb yearning to reunite with his children in Inception (2010), or Cooper crossing galaxies to return to his family in Interstellar (2014), Nolan has been exploring themes that lie at the heart of Homer’s epic. In Odysseus, Nolan has found the protagonist who embodies them all.
The fascination with imperfect heroism has distinguished Nolan’s cinema. As Odysseus, Damon gives shape to that idea as well as delivers a career-defining performance.
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Damon effortlessly depicts every contradiction that defines Odysseus — a fearless warrior and master strategist whose hubris clouds his judgement. Consumed by guilt yet unwilling to surrender to fate, he becomes the quintessential Nolan protagonist. What elevates Damon’s performance is the way he embraces the character’s vulnerability and heroism.
Nolan’s vision makes The Odyssey — packed with action, thrill and visual wizardry — one of the extraordinary cinematic experiences in recent years. And, his storytelling ensures that the timeless themes of the epic are very much in tune with the crises that humanity is grappling with today. Even the horrific encounter with the one-eyed monster Polyphemus or the sorceress Circe, who turns Odysseus’s men into pigs, can’t lessen the weight of war that these warriors are carrying. The futility of a war looms heavy over them as they struggle to get home.
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The brilliance of this movie, like most of Nolan’s movies, lies in its ensemble cast. Hathaway brings remarkable emotional restraint while essaying the character of Penelope, the queen of Ithaca, who must keep her suitors at bay with her wit and grace. A few weeks are left before Holland returns as Spider-Man on the big screen. Ahead of that, he delivers an impressive performance as Telemachus, who is eager to take charge and protect his kingdom. Robert Pattinson as Antinous, a suitor of Penelope, is delightfully vile. This is an interesting casting choice as Pattinson reunites with Nolan after Tenet. Zendaya as Athena, Charlize Theron as the sea nymph Calypso and Lupita Nyong’o as Helen bring star power to the cast. Nyong’o owns a powerful moment when she tries to set the record straight, insisting that the war was fought in her name, not because of her.
The film’s pace keeps fluctuating, especially in the middle, as the narrative follows Odysseus’s long and torturous journey, during which he even loses his way and memory. But the breathtaking set-pieces keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Nolan is famous for creating fascinating set-pieces. For instance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt engaging in a gravity-defying hotel hallway fight with armed goons in Inception and Batman’s Batpod flipping an 18-wheel semi-truck completely upside down in the middle of LaSalle Street in The Dark Knight. The Odyssey’s story with its battle sequences, mythical creatures and nature’s fury lends itself to creating a series of set-pieces. Eventually, they lead up to a thrilling climax that an epic tale like this deserves.
Since he made The Dark Knight, Nolan has been experimenting with IMAX technology. The Odyssey, his 13th feature film, is the first feature-length movie ever to be shot entirely using IMAX 70mm film cameras. The stunning visuals justify the hype around that. Cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema, who bagged an Oscar for Oppenheimer (2023), is top-notch and the music by Ludwig Göransson, who won an Oscar for Sinners, is captivating.
Ultimately, The Odyssey feels like the culmination of Nolan’s lifelong pursuit — an epic homecoming — till he finds the next grand adventure to undertake.
The Odyssey movie director: Christopher Nolan
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The Odyssey movie cast: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, and Himesh Patel
The Odyssey movie rating: 4 stars
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