‘The Odyssey’ First Reactions Are Raves for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Astonishing’ Epic and ‘Flawless Filmmaking’: ‘Breathtaking, Bold and Perfection’ - Variety

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Christopher Nolan Says ‘The Odyssey’s’ Modern English Dialogue ‘Was a No-Brainer’ Even If ‘It Might Bite Me on the Ass’ and ‘I Was Maybe Being Naïve’

‘The Odyssey’ First Reactions Are Raves for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Astonishing’ Epic and ‘Flawless Filmmaking’: ‘Breathtaking, Bold and Perfection’

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Christoper Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has finally been unveiled to members of the film press, who are calling the Oscar winner’s adaptation of Homer’s epic a “staggering achievement” with “flawless filmmaking.” It appears Nolan has another huge hit on his hands.

“A filmmaking feast,” wrote Collider’s Peri Nemiroff. “A grand and gripping rendition of Homer's epic, and one that feels uniquely Christopher Nolan. It's sincerely hard to imagine any other filmmaker on the planet being able to bring that source material to screen with this much scale, scope and heart.”

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Discussing Film managing editor Andrew J. Salazar called the movie a “staggering achievement,” while IndieWire’s David Ehrlich noted “the last act rewards the journey” despite some clunkiness along the way.

“Flawless filmmaking, every inch as epic as you’d expect,” film journalist Simon Thompson raved. “Leading a stellar cast, Matt Damon gives Odysseus everything in a career-best powerhouse performance. Robert Pattinson is outstanding as Antinous and John Leguizamo’s Eumaeus is sublime.”

Variety ‘s Jazz Tangcay hailed the movie as an “astonishing achievement” and a “triumphant, spectacular epic,” while the publication’s awards pundit Clayton Davis noted: “Matt Damon leads with grit, while Tom Holland brings the sensitivity and heart… It’s another hit for Nolan, one his die-hards will digest for decades to come.”

Fandango’s Erik Davis shared praise for Robert Pattinson, writing: “He’s so conniving, manipulative and endlessly entertaining to watch. Pattinson leans all the way into the character’s villainy, and it results in one of my favorite performances of his.” He also called the movie “an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great filmmakers of our time.”

Matt Damon headlines “The Odyssey” in the lead role of Odysseus, as the movie recounts his harrowing years-long journey to return home to his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), after the end of the Trojan War. The sprawling ensemble cast also includes Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal and more.

“The Odyssey” is notably the first narrative feature film to be entirely shot with Imax cameras. Nolan previously revealed to Empire magazine that he "shot over 2 million feet of film" during the making of " The Odyssey," which filmed for 91 days last year.

"As a filmmaker, you're looking for gaps in cinematic culture, things that haven't been done before," Nolan told Empire about why he chose to adapt Homer's Greek epic. "And what I saw is that all of this great mythological cinematic work that I had grown up with – Ray Harryhausen movies and other things – I'd never seen that done with the sort of weight and credibility that an A-budget and a big Hollywood, IMAX production could do."

“The Odyssey” opens in theaters July 17 from Universal Pictures. Check out more first reactions in the posts below.

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ is *incredible*. I've been lucky enough to watch it twice and it gets better on the second viewing.

I'm really blown away by this film.

If you can, SEE IT IN @IMAX 70mm. It’s a jaw dropping experience. It'll be great wherever you see it, but… pic.twitter.com/Gdiika6eCL — Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 6, 2026

THE ODYSSEY is as epic as its source material with that level of Christopher Nolan spark that makes it something special. It's a story of love and loss and takes you on quite the journey in only the way Nolan knows how. Breathtaking, bold, and perfection. pic.twitter.com/ycJ2zHEDsQ — Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) July 6, 2026