The Odyssey review: Tom Holland steals show in Christopher Nolan’s epic, but there’s another MVP

It feels like a lifetime since Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer hit theaters alongside Barbie in 2023 — and three years later, he’s back with his movie adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey.

Perhaps one of the densest epics ever, it should come as no surprise that Nolan nailed The Odyssey. Filmed completely on IMAX cameras, The Odyssey is an enthralling journey, complete with a well-rounded group of performances.

Matt Damon leads the cast as Odysseus, but Spider-Man actor Tom Holland was a surprise standout. For the first time in years, he broke out of the Peter Parker mold, giving his best performance since The Devil All The Time (which also starred Robert Pattinson). However, the real MVP is Anne Hathaway, who has been on fire all year. She delivers a gut-wrenching performance as Penelope.

It’s a team effort, though, as the entire ensemble, from Damon to John Leguizamo, is phenomenal. Like Batman in Nolan’s Dark Knight series, The Odyssey isn’t the blockbuster that we deserve, but the blockbuster we need.

What is Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey about?

Most know the story of The Odyssey, but it follows the long journey home of the king of Ithaca, Odysseus (Matt Damon), after the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters various mythical beings, from Cyclopes to Sirens.

Meanwhile, his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), is being courted by several suitors. Everyone, including the devious Antinous (Robert Pattinson), is hoping to marry her and take the throne.

However, Odysseus and Penelope’s son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), is also waiting in the wings, and he is eager to find his father. So, he tries to find his father while his mother fends off her suitors.

Why Christopher Nolan was the perfect person to adapt Homer’s epic

This begins an epic journey that Nolan nailed. The Odyssey is easily among Nolan’s best, and even better than Oppenheimer, thanks to its pacing, visuals, and performances (three things he is best known for). It feels like his magnum opus, and it’s unlikely he’ll top it anytime soon.

In the hands of the wrong filmmaker, The Odyssey could fall flat. Historical epics feel like an ancient relic these days, with the exception of movies like Gladiator II (which was made by another legend, Ridley Scott).

The Odyssey has a lot of amazing imagery that is required to be brought to life. If the Cyclops, Polyphemus, or the whirlpool in the sea didn’t look real, it’d take viewers out of the movie.

The practical effects

For all of its fantastical elements, there’s still some of that familiar Nolan realism. Shooting on location does wonders for scenes like Odysseus’ interaction with Hades’ underworld, which was filmed in Iceland. Surely, soundstages were used in some capacity, but unlike most modern blockbusters, Nolan shot on location.

Even things like Polyphemus were created using practical effects. The scenes involving the 60-foot “contraption,” as it has been labeled, keep you on the edge of your seat. It feels as real as a 60-foot Cyclops can feel.

Ludwig Göransson once again composed the score for Nolan. His work is familiar, with the strings section coming in hot during The Odyssey’s most intense scenes. It can sometimes be overwhelming, but that tension he brings is familiar to a lot of his work (including Oppenheimer).

The biggest issue with The Odyssey

The pacing of The Odyssey is head and shoulders above Nolan’s last movie. The adventure itself is interesting, but the story — which cuts between Odysseus and Telemachus — is well-paced. Naturally, there’s more emphasis on Odysseus, but it doesn’t feel like Telemachus gets shortchanged.

For the most part, the below-the-line work, such as the cinematography (which was done by the iconic Hoyte van Hoytema), was astonishing. The biggest flaw of The Odyssey is that the editing in some of the action sequences was messy. The Odyssey is already dimly lit as it is, so constant quick-cuts in some of the brutal fights made it hard to keep up.

This is a bit puzzling to figure out. It’s not as if The Odyssey is hiding bad CGI or set pieces in these scenes. Perhaps it was cut this way to add excitement. Considering how well Jennifer Lame edited the rest of the movie, pruning The Odyssey to only feature the necessities in its 173-minute runtime, it’s surprising that the hand-to-hand combat scenes suffer so much.

It could’ve been a theater issue, but the sound mixing wasn’t always great either. At times, the dialogue was hard to make out, which is especially frustrating for a movie as complex as The Odyssey.

Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway’s performances

Damon is a steady force as Odysseus. The casting decision might’ve originally seemed strange, but he embodies the hero. Odysseus is a complicated hero, as his motivations are born out of stubbornness.

At 55 years old, Damon is the perfect age for the part. Odysseus is shown throughout the years, aging on his quest back home. He shares some touching scenes with Hathaway early on as well.

Hathaway has had a heck of a 2026. From Mother Mary to The Devil Wears Prada 2 and now to The Odyssey, she has run the gamut of genres.

Penelope’s pent-up frustrations and hopefulness that her husband will return are expertly conveyed by Hathaway. Her character’s restrained nature makes it a harder performance to nail, as she can only occasionally show cracks in her armor. It’s one of her most mature performances, something she shares with Holland.

She doesn’t have the most screen time — in fact, she probably has the least amount of it out of the trio of top-billed stars — but Hathaway makes the most of every moment.

Tom Holland breaks out in The Odyssey

The Spider-Man actor has tried to break out of the Peter Parker character type for years. This has been done to varied results, ranging from the interesting (but flawed) Devil All the Time and the complete disaster Cherry.

It appears that Holland has always had the ability in him; it’s just not unleashed with the roles he takes on (his last movie credit was 2022’s Uncharted adaptation).

For the first time in years, it didn’t feel like Holland was just doing Peter Parker; he felt like a real actor. Leave it to Nolan to get that out of him.

If nothing else, The Odyssey should be encouraging to Holland’s fans. He can play Spider-Man for as long as he’d like, but he does have a future outside of the role.

Holland easily could’ve slipped into his gawky Peter Parker character while playing Telemachus. However, there’s a bite behind his line delivery, something that hasn’t been present in his oftentimes vanilla performances. A rage hides behind the eyes of the rightful heir to the throne.

The rest of the ensemble features great work from Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and especially Samantha Morton, who makes the most of her limited screen time. She has a couple of important scenes as Circe, and Morton did not miss.

Pattinson delivers an unhinged take on Antinous, which he aptly compared to Lester from Casino. He plays unstable well, and the character makes you uneasy watching him.

Should you watch The Odyssey?

Nolan has once again brought an experience to movie theaters with The Odyssey. There’s no doubt that he always brings a spectacle whenever his latest offering comes out in theaters.

It’s not perfect, as uncharacteristically poor editing in the last action sequences and the muddled sound mixing (which could’ve been a theater issue) hold it back from being Nolan’s very best. Still, it’s one of the best movies of the year, and it’s not surprising that Nolan knocked it out of the park.

The Odyssey is one of the most important texts in Western culture, and that is clear in Nolan’s adaptation. Nolan’s take will become the definitive adaptation of Homer’s epic. No other filmmaker should even think about touching it.

Grade: A-

The Odyssey will be released on July 17.

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