Early reactions hail Nolan’s The Odyssey as his boldest epic yet

If you’ve been anywhere near film Twitter (or, god help you, Threads) this week, you’ll know that the first reactions to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey have finally broken cover. The junket crowd got to see it last week but were sworn to total silence. Now, the embargo’s up, and—well, nobody should be shocked—it’s apparently the film version of the Second Coming. Or at least, that’s what the lucky lot who’ve already seen it are saying.

'Believe the Hype': What People Are Saying

The early chatter is full-on rave territory. To be fair, these reactions do tend to skew a bit overexcited (Nolan stans are a passionate bunch), but even so, words like 'masterpiece', 'crowning achievement', and 'breathtaking' keep cropping up. Here’s the gist:

• Perri Nemiroff called it 'a filmmaking feast', saying it’s as huge and heartfelt as you’d hope, and truly only Nolan could have pulled off a Homer adaptation at this scale.
• Matt Neglia reckons the set pieces are the wildest Nolan’s ever attempted, banging on about in-camera tricks and new IMAX cameras. His direct Gladiator–Braveheart–Troy comparisons underline just how big and brawny this thing’s meant to be. He says: 'This is the kind of filmmaking and storytelling that we rarely see anymore and deserves to be honored.'
• Andrew J. Salazar was especially struck by how creepy it gets, saying Nolan really leans into the darker side of Greek myth—and manages to make it feel modern at the same time.
• Steven Weintraub has already watched it twice, reckons it’s 'incredible', and says IMAX 70mm is basically mandatory—'It’s a jaw dropping experience'. Apparently, it only gets better on repeat viewings.
• Phil de Semlyen described it as dense but approachable, with proper career-best work from the cast—gives a special nod to Samantha Morton as well.
• David Ehrlich, less effusive, calls it a 'less despairing' follow-up to Oppenheimer—says it’s clunky at times, not top-tier Nolan, but the last act really delivers.
• Erik Davis is all-in on the horror elements as well, says the action set pieces are something else, and showers praise on the cast (Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Tom Holland—no surprises there). But for him, Robert Pattinson steals the show, going full villain.

If you’re hoping for a bit of negativity, look elsewhere for now. Pretty much everyone is tripping over themselves to call this the must-see event of summer 2026, if not the whole bloody year.

The Horror Angle and Polyphemus Hype

One point that’s getting a lot of repeat mention: Nolan really hasn’t held back on the horror. Several reactions bring up how properly unsettling it is, especially in the big mythological set pieces. There’s a lot of anticipation (and probably some nervousness) about how Nolan’s taken on sequences like the run-in with the Cyclops Polyphemus. Could be the most nightmarish scene in a big-budget film this summer.

Cast and Running Time: No Expense Spared

If you’ve wondered if the cast list is as packed as the runtime is long, the answer is yes on both counts—but not quite as long as Oppenheimer, if that’s your worry. 'The Odyssey' clocks in at 172 minutes, so just under three hours, but that’s actually eight minutes shorter than Nolan’s last outing.

The ensemble is absurdly stacked:

• Matt Damon
• Tom Holland
• Anne Hathaway
• Charlize Theron
• Jon Bernthal
• Robert Pattinson
• Mia Goth
• Zendaya
• Elliot Page
• John Leguizamo
• Samantha Morton
• Ryan Hurst
• Logan Marshall-Green
• Lupita Nyong'o
• Josh Stewart
• Benny Safdie
• Corey Hawkins
• Elyes Gabel

There’s been a bit of online moaning about some of the casting (no surprise for something this high profile), but we’ll see if any of that turns into actual controversy once people have more than just the trailer and thumbnail images to work with.

What’s New? All-IMAX, Start to Finish

Nolan’s gone and shot the entire film in 70mm IMAX. Not just a few show-off action sequences—start to finish, everything’s shot that way. It’s the first time anyone’s done that for a feature. So, expect some fairground-ride-level visuals, and probably the odd bit of neck ache if you bag one of those front-row seats.

What’s the Actual Story, Then?

Just to get everyone on the same page: 'The Odyssey' lifts straight from Homer’s 8th-century poem. It follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, trying to get home after that ten-year Trojan War. Classic stuff—Cyclops, Sirens, druggy witch-goddesses, angry gods galore. Meanwhile, back home, his utterly fed-up wife Penelope and their son Telemachus are fending off a parade of power-grabbing suitors who’d like nothing better than to take Odysseus' place on the throne.

Casting Drama and Holland’s Spider-Man Sacrifice

For his part, Tom Holland (he’s in the thick of it, and always up for a bit of PR) is already calling it a 'masterpiece'. He’s been telling anyone who’ll listen that he actually begged Sony to hold off shooting Spider-Man: Brand New Day just so he could do it. 'Chris Nolan’s movie is fantastic. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. When I saw the movie, I found myself asking, "How did you do that?"' Proper fanboy energy from him there.

When’s It Out?

'The Odyssey' is set for release in cinemas on 17th July.