Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has received rave reviews from critics and for a multitude of reasons. Pundits and general audiences alike have lauded the film’s direction, screenplay, performances, score and more. The British filmmaker pulled from Homer’s original epic poem when crafting the film, though he also looked to others, including Emily Wilson, who translated the story in 2017. While Nolan named Wilson as an inspiration for his approach, the author has some brutally honest thoughts about the book-to-screen adaptation.
To put it simply, Nolan’s 2026 movie schedule entry has stirred up a lot of conversations amongst those familiar with the story. There’s been backlash leveled at Nolan for his casting choices and use of modern language. Well, Wilson has entered the chat, and she lambasts the blockbuster in an essay written for the London Review of Books. While Wilson noted that her teenage kids “had a good time,” she laid out why she was unimpressed:
