The early reviews for The Odyssey are in, and anyone fretting about all the noise surrounding the movie should rest assured: critics have nothing but praise.
The reviews come after early screenings of The Odyssey in the US as well as its recent London premiere, which saw its stacked cast of A-listers — including Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland and Lupita Nyong’o — walk the red carpet ahead of a broader release for us normies later this month.
The Odyssey is a three-hour (yes, three f*cking hours) blockbuster directed by Christopher Nolan and based on Homer’s epic poem of the same name. Per the official logline, the movie follows “Odysseus as he embarks on a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca following the Trojan War, encountering treacherous creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus and Sirens”.
The film courted controversy in recent months both for its anachronistic use of modern-day English language, and for its casting — which sent right-wing filmbros into a tizzy.
But all of that is water under the bridge based on the snappy reviews shared after the social media embargo lifted this week, with critics’ thoughts on the movie ranging from generally positive to downright glowing. Some called it the best film of Nolan’s career, the best adaptation of Greek mythology yet, or a surefire pick for Best Picture at next year’s Oscars.
Seriously, there were so few negative reviews that it’s impossible to rate them on a scale from ‘meh’ to ‘amazing’, so I’ll just sort through some of the grabbiest tidbits from most major critics, and let you decide whether it’s worth a ticket and a big ol’ bucket of popcorn.
“[Nolan] has outdone himself”
IndieWire’s Anne Thompson said lead star Matt Damon “could win Best Actor” for his performance in The Odyssey, adding that it is currently the “Best Picture to beat” and that her “high expectations were met” after watching the film.
Damon was also praised by Variety’s Jazz Tangcay, who said his performance, as well as the entire ensemble’s, was “genuinely grand”. Of the main cast, Damon, Hathaway, and Holland were often singled out as the ones to watch, as well as Samantha Morton.
Later in her review, Tangcay was equally complimentary of the film as a whole, describing it as a “work of art” and an “incredible epic”.
“[Nolan] has outdone himself. You could feel the passion in his storytelling. You feel the passion in the crafts and the acting,” she added.
Christopher Nolan is a visionary, and #TheOdyssey is a work of art. Adapting a Homer classic is not easy, but he has done an incredible job of bringing this to the big screen and telling Odysseus’s journey. He has outdone himself. You could feel the passion in his storytelling.… pic.twitter.com/Lkn0F7jYMH
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) July 6, 2026
Praise for the iconic director was echoed in almost every review, with Discussing Film’s Andrew Salazar saying The Odyssey shows Nolan “tapping into a side he hasn’t really shown before” and Eric Davis saying the film “is an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great filmmakers of our time”.
“The production design is incredible, the action is breathtaking, and the scale is unlike anything he’s done before,” Davis wrote.
“Everyone delivers”
By all accounts, the scale of The Odyssey is enormous, which is saying something for a director whose credits already include behemoths like The Dark Knight and Oppenheimer.
“Nolan’s biggest film to date,” The Independent‘s Jacob Stolworthy gushed. “This film has about triple the number of huge set pieces than any of Nolan’s previous films, and every single one of them is breathtaking in their own way… I also can’t quite remember a film having such a stacked cast, where everyone delivers,” he added.
Elsewhere, film buffs also commended Nolan for pulling off the difficult feat of adapting a Greek myth, with actual historian Tom Holland (no relation to Spider-Man, lol), saying “it is by some way the best cinematic adaptation of a Greek myth I have ever seen”.
“It honours Homer while simultaneously making something new of him,” Holland added.
Lots of people telling me The Odyssey is a terrible film on the basis of not having seen it…
— Tom Holland (@holland_tom) July 7, 2026
FWIW, I’ve now watched it twice, and it is by some way the best cinematic adaptation of a Greek myth I have ever seen.
It honours Homer while simultaneously making something new of him https://t.co/87gPhBFRvY
If all that wasn’t enough to convince you, I’ll leave you with a review so glowing you might need a pair of sunnies, from ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley.
“The Odyssey is the most must-see theatrical experience of our generation. An absolute redefinition of the word epic and a new gold standard for blockbuster cinema,” Crowley said.
The Odyssey hits Aussie cinemas on July 16. In the meantime, you can check out some of the early reviews below.
Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ is INCREDIBLE.
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 6, 2026
I'm really blown away by this film. Everything from the flawless performances to the way Nolan embraces the supernatural is just perfect.
If you can, SEE IT IN @IMAX 70mm. It’s a jaw dropping experience.
It'll be great… pic.twitter.com/UXEAjF8cKk
A sensational experience tonight seeing The Odyssey at the world premiere on 70mm IMAX, with pretty much the entire cast (plus Laurence Fishburne!) watching it at the same time.
— Nick de Semlyen (@NickdeSemlyen) July 6, 2026
My second go round and even more satisfying this time around. This is rich, propulsive, deeply… pic.twitter.com/JXhhjHgueX
Believe the hype(rbole): The Odyssey is that film. Dense but accessible, packed with career-best work from the stacked cast – Samantha Morton is extraordinary – it's a dizzying mix of craft and spectacle that's built to last. pic.twitter.com/cwpN4HvG73
— Phil de Semlyen (@PhildeSemlyen) July 6, 2026
Been seeing his movies in theaters since Memento, and after 25 years, #TheOdyssey gives us a first: a fleshed out horror sequence directed by Christopher Nolan
— Aaron Couch (@AaronCouch) July 6, 2026
Christopher Nolan's #TheOdyssey is an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great filmmakers of our time. It feels like everything Nolan has been working toward with IMAX has culminated here. The production design is incredible, the action is… pic.twitter.com/yLxocUEEdn
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) July 6, 2026
Now that the social embargo is up I can say that Samantha Morton’s sequence in THE ODYSSEY is perhaps the best of the entire film and we’re going to be talking about it for years to come. If you know, you know.
— Andrew J. Salazar (@AndrewJ626) July 6, 2026
Nolan tapping into a side he hasn’t really shown before. https://t.co/3CLlpY0VWS
My high expectations were met at Chris Nolan's stunningly mounted The Odyssey in IMAX 70 mm. Matt Damon could win Best Actor and a bevy of supporting thesps and noms will follow. The BP to beat.
— Anne Thompson (@akstanwyck) July 6, 2026
Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated film The Odyssey is set to be released in the UK on July 17. The Independent’s chief film and TV correspondent Jacob Stolworthy shares his thoughts after watching Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem. pic.twitter.com/BqBxdzDOwk
— The Independent (@Independent) July 6, 2026
Lead images: The Odyssey/Universal
The post The Early Reviews For The Odyssey Are In & It Might Be Chris Nolan’s ‘Best Film To Date’ appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
