Similar to the Homer novel in which it is adapted from, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is epic in every sense of the word. While I completely understand how this might sound hyperbolic, it genuinely feels like only a handful of filmmakers working today know how to create a cinematic experience like Christopher Nolan can. Plenty of filmmakers make movies that are worth seeing on the big screen, but Nolan continues to make films that feel like they were designed exclusively for the theatrical experience. Watching The Odyssey at home in the future will never be able to replicate what it feels like to sit in a theater and allow this massive spectacle to wash over you for the first time.
From a technical standpoint, the film is nothing short of astonishing. Hoyte van Hoytema once again delivers stunning cinematography that constantly reminds you why he’s one of the greatest working cinematographers working today. Whether the camera is capturing breathtaking landscapes, intimate character moments, or some of the biggest action set pieces Nolan has ever assembled, every shot looks spectacular. Ludwig Göransson’s score is just as extraordinary. It’s deafening, haunting, and emotionally overwhelming at times, elevating scenes that definitely would not have carried the same weight without his music. The production design, costumes, and sound design are equally impressive. You can mark my words right now, this is a sure-fire below the line awards contender.
In fact, my only criticism when it comes to the crafts are the visual effects, which 95% of the time are pretty damn spectacular. However, the sequences involving Polyphemus felt surprisingly janky. I don’t know if it’s because of how dark those scenes are, but I was honestly shocked by how fake and cheap those parts of the visual effects looked. Thankfully, those scenes only take up about 10 minutes of the total runtime but they were jarring enough that I felt like it was worth noting. However, besides that this is one of those films where you can feel the craftsmanship in nearly every frame.
Moving onto the screenplay,I do have several issues with the storytelling. As much as I admire the filmmaking, I found the first two acts to be surprisingly messy and uneven. The pacing frequently drags, and despite constantly having something happening on screen, I felt the length and checked my phone several times. There are moments that feel overstuffed while others move so quickly that certain emotional moments don’t have enough time to breathe. Nolan is juggling so many storylines, characters, and timelines within the film that, at times, he loses a bit of that narrative momentum.
The film also suffers from having too many recognizable faces. In theory, assembling one of the biggest casts ever outside of an Avengers movie may sound exciting, but in execution, talented actors like Zendaya and Lupita Nyong’o feel almost entirely wasted given their limited screen time and little to no character development. To go one step further, I would argue that by having so many stars it became almost too distracting. When Jon Bernthal showed up, it really took me out of the movie. Please don’t get me wrong, I think pretty much everyone involved is pretty good, except for Robert Pattinson, which more on that in a moment, but quite a few performances feel very underutilized. It ultimately becomes less about the actors themselves and more about how little room so many of these characters are given to leave a lasting impression.
In terms of the performances, there are several that are worth noting. Tom Holland as Telemachus showcases that he really has what it takes as an actor even without being in a superhero costume. His performance here is emotionally riveting and it’s nice to see him do something that feels unlike anything he has done before. I also have to say that the film’s scene stealer for me was John Leguizamo as Eumaeus. Leguizamo is so damn good in this movie and when I talk about a performance giving the material some emotional weight, he really understood the assignment. I think he is so good that he might even get some awards love for this performance. Eumaeus stands out in a sea of other characters, which says a lot about Leguizamo’s portrayal.
The one performance that simply did not work for me was Robert Pattinson’s. I understand what he was going for, but his portrayal feels so exaggerated and over-the-top that he almost comes across like a mustache-twirling villain from a cartoon. While nearly everyone else is playing their roles with a sense of sincerity and restraint, Pattinson feels like he’s operating on an entirely different wavelength. The performance really bothered me, so much so that it pulled me out of the film because it never felt like it belonged in the same world Nolan had otherwise created. Whether that was a directing choice, screenplay choice or an acting choice, it was the performance that genuinely didn’t work for me whatsoever.
And similar to several of Nolan’s other recent outings, the screenplay here isn’t as strong as the filmmaking. For a good percentage of this film, the writing comes across as emotionally distant and cold. I have to admit that I did struggle to find reason to care about some of these characters, which is a combination of the writing and there being too many of them. Nolan has been occasionally criticized for prioritizing concepts over emotion, and while I don’t always agree with that, I do think it applies here, especially in the first and second act. The film spends so much time centered around battles and traveling to different locales that it forgets to let the audience connect with several of the characters within the story.
Ironically, one of the earliest moments of the film that moved me involved a dog. Those scenes immediately create empathy because, let’s be honest, most audiences instinctively react emotionally to seeing or hearing an animal suffer. It’s one of the few times early on where the film allows itself to exist in an emotional way while other key plot points are going on around it. After that, however, I found myself waiting for another moment that truly connected with me on a human level. It took a while to get there, but thankfully, that moment finally arrived in the third act.
Without question, the final act is what transforms The Odyssey from a good film into almost a great one. Everything Nolan has been building toward finally clicks into place emotionally. Anne Hathaway’s Penelope suddenly becomes the emotional center of the story, delivering what I genuinely believe is one of the finest moments of her career. Up until that point, I was worried the character was going to amount to nothing more than another underwritten Nolan female lead. Instead, Hathaway uses the moment to completely take command of the screen. She brings vulnerability, resilience, heartbreak, and strength to a character who desperately needed those qualities. She adds real emotional weight, which ultimately takes the movie to a whole other level.
Her performance pairs perfectly with Matt Damon’s Odysseus, whose emotional journey finally comes full circle after being intentionally restrained for much of the film. Damon has always been terrific at playing conflicted men, and the final act allows him to deliver some of the strongest work of his career. Watching Penelope and Odysseus finally reunite gives the film the hope and humanity that I felt was so desperately missing throughout the first two-thirds.
Even with that, I do still think the screenplay leaves something to be desired. While Penelope ultimately receives an incredibly satisfying payoff thanks largely to Hathaway’s powerful performance, most of the other female characters, as previously noted, remain underwritten.
Take Samantha Morton’s character as an example. Morton shows how a great actress can take on a small role and knock it out of the park, yet it still feels underutilized. Some of the other actresses have fascinating introductions and a commanding screen presence, but they quickly fade into the background as the story becomes increasingly focused on Odysseus’ journey. I get that it is difficult because the cast is filled with so many talented actresses, but they could have carried far more substantial material if they had been given the opportunity to do so. I also think casting lesser-known actors and actresses would have helped significantly.
The fascinating thing about The Odyssey is that despite all of my issues with it, I spent a lot of time thinking about it afterwards. The flaws are apparent throughout the entire film. The pacing is uneven. The writing feels emotionally cold more often than not. Some of the actors deserved much more than what they got. However, the highs are so unbelievably high that they genuinely offset many of those weaknesses. It is truly the power of that final act that elevates the film and makes the entire journey feel worth it.
Is The Odyssey a perfect film? Absolutely not and truthfully, it isn’t even the best film of the year or the best film in Nolan’s filmography. However, none of that matters because Christopher Nolan has once again delivered a cinematic event that demands to be experienced in a theater and on the biggest screen possible. That should be the takeaway. And while the film might not work for all audiences, I do think it’s a film that like many of his others will continue to be talked about and analyzed for years to come.
Grade: 8 out of 10
Awards Buzz: Expect The Odyssey to receive plenty of accolades this awards season from critics awards to Academy Awards. I foresee a Best Picture, Best Director and a plethora of below-the-line nominations in its future. While I think some of the performances are worthy of a nomination, I think it might be too early to say for sure. If I had to rank the likelihood of who will see nominations, I would start with Anne Hathaway in Supporting Actress followed by Matt Damon in Best Actor and then potentially some other supporting nominations for Tom Holland and John Leguizamo. I don’t think anyone else from the cast will break through but it will make for one hell of a cast ensemble nomination at the Actor Awards.
