‘The Odyssey’ First Reactions Hail Christopher Nolan’s Epic Adaptation

Social media reactions are in for Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, and critics so far are cheering the writer-director’s 13th film in his illustrious career.

The Odyssey, of course, marks Nolan’s first film since the blistering success of the 2023 historical biopic Oppenheimer, which won seven Oscars, including statuettes for Best Picture for Nolan and his co-producers Emma Thomas and Charles Roven, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr.

Rated R, The Odyssey opens in theaters on July 17. The social media reaction embargo for the film lifted at 5:30 p.m. PT/2:30 p.m. PT on Monday, while the embargo for full reviews of the film lifts on Wednesday, July 15, at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.

Nolan directs The Odyssey, as well as adapts the screenplay from Homer’s ancient Greek epic. The film — which was shot entirely on IMAX cameras and runs 2 hours and 52 minutes — stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca who is on a treacherous path home after the events of the Trojan War to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), the queen of Ithaca and their son, Telemachus (Tom Holland).

The Odyssey also stars Robert Pattinson as Antinous, while Lupita Nyong’o plays Helen of Troy, the queen of Sparta, as well as Helen’s twin sister Clytemnestra, who is the queen of Mycenae.

In addition, the film’s massive ensemble includes Zendaya as Athena, Charlize Theron as Calypso, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, Samantha Morton as Circe, Benny Safdie as Agamemnon, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, Himesh Patel as Eurylochus, Mia Goth as Melantho, Corey Hawkins as Polybus, Elliot Page as Sinon and Bill Irwin as the one-eyed giant Cyclops.

The Odyssey’s reactions are arriving on social media platforms including X after its studio, Universal Pictures, recently announced that it was skipping influencer screenings. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, the practice involves inviting “fan-site bloggers and influencers to see major releases in advance and then letting them post (often highly enthusiastic) mini reviews on social media.”

As such, Monday’s social media reactions for The Odyssey are from more traditional media outlets. Matt Maytum of Total Film was among the first film reporters to post a reactions, writing on X, “#TheOdyssey is intense and immense. An elemental epic and a feat of world building. Nolan has done it again.”

Another early take on the film came from Clayton Davis of Variety, who writes on X, “In an epic way, #TheOdyssey feels like the Christopher Nolan take on Hamilton. A multicultural, generational cast anchors this sword-and-sandal epic. Matt Damon leads with grit, while Tom Holland brings the sensitivity and heart.”

Another journalist from Variety reacting to The Odyssey is Jazz Tangcay, who writes, “Christopher Nolan is a visionary, and #TheOdyssey is a work of art. Adapting a Homer classic is not easy, but he has done an incredible job of bringing this to the big screen and telling Odysseus’s journey. He has outdone himself. You could feel the passion in his storytelling.”