Christopher Nolan's three-hour adaptation of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey world premiered in London on Monday night, drawing immediate acclaim from critics who attended the premiere and early US screenings. The film is one of the year's most anticipated releases.
Critical Praise and Oscar Buzz
The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw described the film as “a colossal origin-myth story of postwar disillusion and a loss of innocence witnessed by the dead.” IndieWire editor-at-large Anne Thompson called it the best picture contender to beat, adding that Matt Damon “could win best actor.” She said her high expectations were met, calling the film “stunningly mounted.”
Multiple pundits described the film as “flawless” and “breathtaking,” with particular praise for Robert Pattinson's portrayal of the villainous Antinous. Erik Davis called it “an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great film-makers of our time. It feels like everything Nolan has been working toward with IMAX has culminated here.” The film was shot entirely on large-format IMAX film cameras, though it will also screen in non-IMAX theaters.
Performance and Set Design
Davis highlighted the production design, action, and scale, noting that Nolan embraces horror in ways that add a new dimension to his filmmaking. He singled out Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, and Tom Holland for praise, but said “Robert Pattinson absolutely stole the show for me. He’s so conniving, manipulative and endlessly entertaining to watch. Pattinson leans all the way into the character’s villainy, and it results in one of my favorite performances of his.”
Matt Neglia praised the set-pieces, calling the film “a colossal achievement of scale, even by Nolan’s standards.” IndieWire’s David Ehrlich described it as “surprisingly natural” and “less despairing” than Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which swept the 2023 Oscars and earned nearly $1 billion at the box office. However, Ehrlich noted that the film was “too clunky to be S-tier Nolan, but the last act rewards the journey.”
Historical Accuracy and Box Office Projections
Classical historian Tom Holland (no relation to the actor) defended the film on X, writing: “I’ve now watched it twice, and it is by some way the best cinematic adaptation of a Greek myth I have ever seen. It honours Homer while simultaneously making something new of him.”
With an estimated budget of $250 million and a considerable worldwide tour to fund, the film needs to gross at least $500 million to break even. Strong box office signals from recent blockbusters like Toy Story 5 and low-budget hits such as Backrooms and Obsession suggest cinema attendance is resurging.
