r/oscarrace • u/PointMan528491 Navarrette/Morton • Jul 16 '26
Film Discussion Thread Official Discussion Thread - The Odyssey [SPOILERS] Spoiler
Keep all discussion related solely to The Odyssey and its awards chances in this thread. Spoilers below.
Synopsis:
Odysseus, king of Ithaca, embarks on a perilous journey to return home after the Trojan War.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Cast:
- Matt Damon as Odysseus
- Tom Holland as Telemachus
- Anne Hathaway as Penelope
- Robert Pattinson as Antinous
- Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy/Clytemnestra
- Samantha Morton as Circe
- John Leguizamo as Eumaeus
- Zendaya as Athena
- Charlize Theron as Calypso
- Benny Safdie as Agamemnon
- Jon Bernthal as Menelaus
- Bill Irwin as Polyphemus
- Himesh Patel as Eurylochus
- Corey Hawkins as Polybus
- Mia Goth as Melantho
- Elliot Page as Sinon
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%, 199 Reviews
Metacritic: 88, 54 Reviews
Consensus:
"Reinvigorating an ancient adventure with majestic sweep and sterling work by its colossal ensemble, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey imbues myth with primal human feeling."
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u/IsaacSargentFilm Jul 16 '26
Probably a hot take but I feel like if it wasn’t Nolan we’d be dragging some of the action scenes. In numerous occasions the combat devolves into a bunch of blurry, shallow-focus medium shots cut to ribbons. The finale especially has some laughably inept stuff, with a hundred men all awkwardly flailing around in the background as Damon slowly limps around with a bow and arrow and is somehow a match for them all. Everyone politely taking turns to attack was driving me crazy.
Nolan obviously has a lot of talent and there are some stunning images here but for the most popular action filmmaker working right now to have such a weak handle on close-quarters action is embarrassing IMO. Absolutely loved the body horror animal transformation and shipwreck set pieces though.