Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has only just premiered, but the first reactions are already framing it as one of the biggest films of the year. Critics who saw the three-hour epic in London and at early US screenings described it with words like “flawless,” “breathtaking,” and “an absolute triumph.”
The film adapts Homer’s epic poem with a scale that many early viewers said feels unlike anything Nolan has done before. Shot entirely on large-format Imax film cameras, it is also set to play in non-Imax cinemas, widening its reach ahead of its worldwide release next Friday.
Big praise for Nolan’s scale and ambition
Erik Davis called the film “a crowning cinematic achievement” and said it feels like everything Nolan has been working toward with Imax has culminated here. He also praised the production design, the action, and the film’s unsettling horror touches, saying those moments add a new dimension to Nolan’s filmmaking without losing the story’s humanity.
Matt Neglia singled out the set-pieces, describing the movie as “a colossal achievement of scale, even by Nolan’s standards.” IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called it “surprisingly natural” and “less despairing” than Oppenheimer, though he also said the film is “too clunky to be S-tier Nolan.”
Performances drawing attention
Several early reactions focused on the cast, especially Robert Pattinson as the villainous Antinous. Davis said Pattinson “absolutely stole the show” and praised the performance as conniving, manipulative, and endlessly entertaining.
Anne Thompson of IndieWire said her high expectations were met and called the film “stunningly mounted.” She added that Matt Damon “could win best actor,” while Davis highlighted Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, and Tom Holland as all strong, with Holland continuing to prove he can do almost anything.
Classical historian Tom Holland, who is not related to the actor, said on X that he had watched it twice and believed it is “by some way the best cinematic adaptation of a Greek myth I have ever seen.” He added that it “honours Homer while simultaneously making something new of him.”
| Reaction | What Was Said | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Erik Davis | “An absolute triumph” and a “crowning cinematic achievement” | Imax scale, horror, production design |
| Anne Thompson | High expectations were met; Matt Damon “could win best actor” | Best picture contender, performance awards |
| Matt Neglia | “A colossal achievement of scale” | Set-pieces and spectacle |
| David Ehrlich | “Surprisingly natural” and “less despairing” than Oppenheimer | Tone and structure |
What comes next for The Odyssey
The film carries a reported budget of $250m and needs to take at least $500m to break even, making its box-office performance crucial. That target arrives as cinemagoing appears to be strengthening again, helped by the success of blockbusters such as Toy Story 5 and low-budget hits including Backrooms and Obsession.
With the embargo still set to lift next Wednesday, more detailed reviews are still to come. For now, the early consensus is that Nolan has delivered a massive, technically bold version of Homer that is already being talked about as a major contender.