Universal Pictures
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey opens July 17 — and based on the first reactions, it may be the film event of the decade. The first reactions to the epic hit the internet on Monday, July 6 and were glowing across the board.
Following up his Best Picture-winning Oppenheimer was always going to be a monumental task, but according to film journalists who have seen The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan accomplished that and then some.
The first reactions to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey are hailing the film as an epic cinematic achievement
The Odyssey is being hailed as a cinematic epic of the highest-order and an instant contender at the Academy Awards.
I HAVE SEEN The Odyssey, Not even the gods can prepare you for this film. Groundbreaking film, an experience I’ll never forget. pic.twitter.com/fNmtZSntyg
— EccyReviews (@Eccy_reviews) July 6, 2026
Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of THE ODYSSEY is as epic as movies get with some of the most breathtaking set pieces he’s ever attempted. A colossal achievement of scale, even by Nolan’s standards, its commitment to capturing as much as possible in-camera using new IMAX cameras… pic.twitter.com/UOOHd6lkbT
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) July 6, 2026
Variety called it “an astonishing achievement — a triumphant, spectacular epic,” adding that “the performances from Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, John Leguizamo, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong’o are genuinely grand. And for some, truly, the best performances of their career.”
Collider was equally unrestrained: “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.”
ScreenRant called it “an absolute redefinition of the word epic and a new gold standard for blockbuster cinema — each act alone could be a Best Picture nomination.”
Fandango declared it “an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great filmmakers of our time.”
THE ODYSSEY is a staggering achievement. It boasts spectacular & even terrifying set pieces that feel like Christopher Nolan fully embracing the horrors of Greek mythology. Yet, how he tastefully recontextualizes the story for the modern day is what has kept my head buzzing (1/2) pic.twitter.com/x1GJbwSOEK
— Andrew J. Salazar (@AndrewJ626) July 6, 2026
THE ODYSSEY is a filmmaking feast. 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… pic.twitter.com/7jOO5Ch9ZZ
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) July 6, 2026
In addition to Matt Damon as Odysseus, The Odyssey stars Tom Holland as Telemachus, Zendaya as Athena, Lupita Nyong’o as both Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, Charlize Theron as Calypso, Samantha Morton as Circe, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, and Benny Safdie as Agamemnon.
You can check out the official trailer for The Odyssey below ahead of its release in theaters on July 17.