The Odyssey film review: The IMAX epic that will leave you breathless, shaken and immersed
Santiago Steiner’s spoiler-free review of director Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey reveals why this IMAX epic, starring an all-star cast, is a must-see cinema event.
When it was announced that Christopher Nolan was taking on Homer’s The Odyssey, cinemagoers around the globe collectively held their breath.
Adapting one of Western literature’s foundational texts is no mean feat, but if anyone possesses the sheer ambition and technical wizardry required to translate such an iconic, classic literary tale onto the big screen, it’s Nolan. The result is a breathtaking action epic that touches deeply through its ability to immerse viewers in intimate, human concepts while making them feel current and relevant.
The Odyssey: a quick history lesson
What’s the plot?
The Odyssey follows Odysseus, a Greek king trying to sail home after the Trojan War, only to be waylaid for ten years by monsters, gods, and storms while his wife Penelope fends off suitors back in Ithaca. It’s essentially the ultimate “long way home” story juggling equal parts adventure, temptation and homesickness.
What time period was The Odyssey set?
It is set earlier, during the Bronze Age, in the years following the Trojan War; traditionally dated to around 1200 BCE. Odysseus’s journey home takes ten years, making the events of the poem span roughly 1190–1180 BCE in the traditional chronology (though these dates are legendary rather than historically verified).
Who wrote The Odyssey and when?
The story was written by the ancient Greek poet Homer, dated to around the 8th century BCE (around 725–675 BCE). However, scholars argue it was likely passed down orally for generations before being written down.
Matt Damon anchors an emotionally rich cast
At the heart of this epic journey is the character of Odysseus. Matt Damon delivers a standout performance, perfectly balancing strength and assuredness with weakness and doubt. He ventures far beyond the trope of a simple sword-and-sandal hero; Damon’s portrayal of the legendary figure wears the character’s exhaustion and resolve in every glance. Every decision feels earned, and Damon ensures you feel every single mile of his decade-long journey home.
Opposite him, Anne Hathaway’s Penelope acts as an emotional anchor for the film. Far from a passive figure waiting by the window in Ithaca, Hathaway plays Penelope with a quiet, fierce dignity. She transforms what could have been a standard longing-spouse role into a deeply compelling, sometimes unsettling performance that makes clear exactly what is at stake in the story.
Tom Holland’s performance as Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, helps guide the viewer through the story, as we watch him set out in search of closure and understanding about his father’s whereabouts. Holland’s chemistry with Hathaway as mother and son proves essential in making the audience feel truly invested in the fate of Ithaca and Odysseus’s family.
Meanwhile, John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus, Odysseus’s nearly blind swineherd and loyal childhood friend, who protects the hero’s estate and family while Odysseus is lost at sea.
Leguizamo offers a brilliant, grounding presence amid the grand mythology. Leguizamo injects energetic warmth, instinct and humanity into the disillusioned atmosphere of Ithaca.
Leguizamo went full method for the role, undergoing a physical transformation involving bleach and burns as part of playing the character. He also wore contact lenses that left him unable to see for up to 12–14 hours a day on set, to authentically portray Eumaeus’s blindness.
Tactile filmmaking over CGI
Nolan has always favoured tactile, physical filmmaking over green-screen CGI, and The Odyssey takes that philosophy and runs with it. Shot across six different countries, the film’s world-building feels immersive and untouched. Ancient cities feel lived-in, and the mythical elements are woven so seamlessly into historical reality that the line between history and legend beautifully blurs.
Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema works absolute magic. Rather than falling back on stereotypical, clear-blue Mediterranean waters, van Hoytema captures the ocean as a character in its own right, one with personality and consequences.
The framing swings effortlessly between vast, gasp-inducing landscapes of isolation and tight, claustrophobic close-ups. That said, the action sequences do feel different from previous Nolan films. This is most likely down to the IMAX cameras themselves, which force a different approach to shooting combat and close-up work.
Odyssey’s music score gets under your skin
The sound design in this film feels genuinely special. Ludwig Göransson creates a soundtrack that feels authentically attached to its time period. Göransson abandons tradition and builds a tension-filled score dominated by throbbing drums, ancient percussion and ominous acoustic patterns. Every track has character and feels essential to what’s unfolding on screen. Göransson cleverly uses certain motifs that recur throughout the film, so specific emotions become attached to specific sounds by the end.
What you get when you see The Odyssey in IMAX
Traditional cameras use 35mm film vertically. However, The Odyssey made history as the first commercial feature film shot entirely on 15-perforation/65mm horizontal IMAX film cameras. IMAX film cameras use 65mm film that runs horizontally.
Since every frame of the film was shot on IMAX cameras, the film’s aspect ratio expands to fill your entire field of view. The impact on the viewing experience is staggering. For example, when a sea tempest erupts, the crashing waves literally tower over you, creating a genuine sense of vertigo and awe.
There’s also a hugely tactile element. You can see every grain of sand on the beaches, the frayed stitching of armour and the fine lines of strain on the actors’ faces.
Thirdly, there’s a visceral presence from the sheer clarity and enormous screen size that pull you out of your seat and drop you straight into the Aegean Sea alongside the crew.
Nolan’s breathtaking, tactile retelling of Homer’s epic proves he hasn’t lost his nerve or his ambition. The cinematography eliminates the distance between audience and screen, turning a cinema outing into an immersive physical event. The sheer size and immersion of the visuals, paired with the depth and richness of the audio, create an experience that is, without a doubt, worth the time and money.
I can’t speak with total certainty about the impact of IMAX on the viewing experience, as I’ve only watched the film in that format. What I can say wholeheartedly is how much pleasure and surprise I felt watching it in its originally intended format. Perhaps the emotions the film evokes were inevitable regardless of how it’s watched — but I can assure you that when I go for my second viewing, it will be in IMAX.
