The Odyssey Review: An imperfect masterwork
While I'm not quite as obsessed with Nolan as most people seem to be, the controversies surrounding this film were practically the stupidest thing on the internet for a few days—and that's a really high bar. The Odyssey is a legendary epic that we all know about, of course, and Nolan (or anyone) tackling it was bound to be a gargantuan task that would go on to be just as mega-sized at the box office. Is this as legendary as the source material and one of the best films of the year, a misguided mess, or a reasonable something in between? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will be tackling in today's review.
Firstly, let me get into the negatives so we can save the best for last. I think this film did a better job than most of his movies, but it remains too stoic and emotionally suppressed for its subject material. The characters are underdeveloped and needed more time to breathe with the stakes. Not even that much time, but Odysseus's return was so "grounded" that it was subdued to the point of falling flat.
Anne Hathaway as Penelope is the only character and performance that I felt fully encapsulated the emotions that also should've been displayed by other characters. My only other small gripe is that, compared to all the other trials, the sirens and the Scylla portions felt just a little bit rushed. Just one or two more minutes with each would have been fantastic.
The biggest emotional disappointment isn't his return, even, but his redemption arc. The plot from the epic was edited so that Odysseus realizes how horrible all the destruction is—which I loved—but the way it was done felt rather hollow and unrealistic, as many Nolan films do. There were multiple times where it was trying to convince me that Odysseus was changing through what he was witnessing, but I was just so wrapped up in the fact that it didn't even feel realistic to begin with. By the end, with the way it was framed, I wasn't convinced Odysseus was as good of a man as the story tried to convey...
However, when I have just a few (albeit significant) gripes, I can't lie: this is a masterpiece, and a top 5 Nolan film, without question. Firstly, this is the most cinematic, grand, and impressive-looking film in his filmography so far. Sure, Interstellar is more ethereal, and looking at space could definitely be considered more exciting than this film's setting, but this definitely put its IMAX cameras and budget to use.
It's grandiose in a way that no previous Nolan film has been. This is most apparent in the scenes where they're at sea, where the ocean is truly treated with the monstrous ferocity that it deserves. The film ends up feeling like the grand odyssey that it's trying to be in each and every scene. Whether it's a wide shot on a beach or a zoomed-in shot of a statue of Athena, everything feels weighty.
The performances here were all really good, even if Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson were the standouts for me. While I wouldn't say any of the other performances were irreplaceably good, I can't say that about most films, so that's not a dig on anyone. While it could've been choreographed to be darker and grittier, the action here was still solid! I loved the scenes where Odysseus gave all the suitors their comeuppance—that was the most satisfying scene of the flick!
However, the best part of this film is that it's an explosive prototype for Nolan's capability to do horror. From the psychological horror of the dead coming to haunt you, to the mental torture of having to fight back against the voices of the sirens; from being hunted and slaughtered on a beach by giants, to residing in the care of a disgusting, hungry cyclops, or my personal favorite, the body horror that comes as manifestations of the greedy gluttony of the Ithaca company, this film is full of some of the best horror sequences of the year. Nolan has shown that he could definitely pull off a horror film now, and I'm quite sure it'd be one of my new favorite films of his. The ability he and the crew had to craft such grimy, uncanny, and repulsive thrills? That made this film my kind of money. I would love to see him tackle cosmic horror...
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 95%
Letter Score: S+
Star Ranking: 5 out of 5
The Odyssey is one of Nolan's best, and one of 2026's best. While it is still too emotionally subdued, as most of his films are, this film's grand scope, performances, action, and cinematography bring the iconic story to the big screen in a masterful way.
Interested in checking out some recent reviews for some other fantasy or action movies? Or Nolan movies? Check them out below! 😄
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
https://thereelranker.com/tag/christopher-nolan
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