The Odyssey (2026) - The scoop and digest

Christopher Nolan writes and directs possibly the last adaptation of Homer's epic poem.

Matt Damon - Odysseus

Tom Holland - Telemachus

Anne Hathaway - Penelope

Robert Pattinson - Antinous

Lupita Nyong'o - Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra

Samantha Morton - Circe

John Leguizamo - Eumaeus

Zendaya - Athena

Charlize Theron - Calypso

Benny Safdie - Agamemnon

Jon Bernthal - Menelaus

Himesh Patel - Eurylochus

Corey Hawkins - Polybus

Mia Goth - Melantho

Logan Marshall-Green - Melanthius

Elliot Page - Sinon

James Remar - Tiresias

Summary

Telemachus embarks on a perilous journey to find his father Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, as they both must defy the gods, monsters and treachery along the way.

Casting

Ignoring her other role, Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page as Achilles¹ understandably raised eyebrows.

¹However, speculation turned out to be incorrect, as Sinon is reimagined as Odysseus's cousin.  He was a warrior from the Trojan War, but wasn't mentioned in source material.

Whatever, they suck, but at least we only have to suffer them for less than 10 minutes.

Accents and dialogue

Contemporary colloquialisms and British mob as Americans was extremely offputting.

Damon yelling "Let's gooooo!" as he leads his men into battle didn't sit well and "Ten years on this fucking beach" in flashback after the fall of Troy is already a meme.

Draken Harald Harfagre

Odyssesus's boat is a modern reconstruction of a Viking longship.

Cool.  But film is set around 1200 BC, approximately 2000 years before transport existed (about 800 AD).

Honour the dead

For all my bitching, three hour journey on land and sea is a stunning piece of cinema.

Sequence of Circe whispering chilling incantations and turning soldiers into pigs was awesome, especially how witch caresses and strokes heads.

Final act of Odyssesus putting Antinous to the sword kicked ass, but Cyclops Polyphemus inside Nestor's cave is worth the admission fee alone.

I grew up with the genius of Ray Harryhausen, and 60-foot tall mechanical puppet (in collabroation with Bill Irwin), was not only fucking terrifying, but also the ultimate tribute to the great man.

Also, how fallen soldiers emerge from the ground, subsequently driving Odysseus and his men from Hades basically recreates the skeletons in Jason and the Argonauts.

(Nods head in appreciation).