Christopher Nolan’s name has become a hallmark of ambition and visionary filmmaking, and he delivers both in spades.
From gorgeous landscapes and breathtaking action scenes – made even more majestic with IMAX viewing, The Odyssey sets itself apart from the previous epic films that have been done before. Who would have thought that rapper Travis Scott would fit right into the Bronze Age of Ithaca? Nolan did. He also challenged basic and predictable norms in films like this where the characters would be expected to speak in a British accent, and instead, turns the tables and makes even the British cast members speak in an American accent.
Matt Damon once again plays a man on his journey to return home, from Saving Private Ryan and Interstellar to The Martian and The Odyssey. This time around, you see him bearing the heavy burden of the war and the guilt, the kind that warps a man into a monster of himself. And we have Anne Hathaway who knocks it out of the park as Penelope, Queen of Ithaca, who waits faithfully for twenty years for her husband to return. Underneath her unwavering love and patience, she harbours rage, as she thwarts the attempts of her suitors who are after the throne.
Tom Holland breaks out of his mold as the web-slinging teenage heartthrob, and steps forward into the shoes of the Prince of Ithaca. Gone are his nerdy and bumbling Peter Parker, replaced with the poise and regalness of Telemachus, whose anguish over the disappearance of his father sends him out to sea to look for him himself, while Benny Safdie commands the screen each time he appears as the formidable Agamemnon. His presence aura farms (as the kids say these days) even when you can’t see his face most of the time.
As for the soldiers, Himesh Patel holds his own as Eurylochus against Matt Damon’s Odysseus, and that is no small feat. He is defiant, he is sympathetic, and he is the perfect foil to Odysseus’ arrogance. And Zendaya appears briefly here and there, but she makes for a memorable performance. If you’re familiar with Nolan’s filmmaking style, his stories are told in a non-linear fashion, but by the time she makes her final appearance, you will understand her character and the gravity she holds.
Don’t forget John Leguizamo, adding to his list of characters in which he completely disappears into his roles like a chameleon. His diversity shines as Odysseus’ devoted swineherd, excluding a gentle vulnerability and fierce loyalty. And Samantha Morton makes a worthy appearance who, without saying too much, manages to tilt the genre of the film into horror, and boy, was she horrifying, and in a good way.
The whole film is led by an immersive score, composed by Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson. Many of the film’s most memorable moments simply would not carry the same emotional weight without his sweeping orchestration.
Despite its nearly three-hour runtime, The Odyssey rarely loses momentum. Nolan carefully balances intimate character moments with large-scale spectacle, allowing the film to breathe without ever feeling sluggish. While the adaptation introduces slight changes to Homer’s original text, they serve the cinematic narrative without undermining the spirit of the source material.
*All images via Universal Pictures