⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ 5

Initially, as a major summer blockbuster, I wasn’t particularly excited about this one, and the three-hour runtime was off-putting at first. In fact, I had to cancel my original opening-day booking because I seriously doubted I’d make it through. A week later, I finally sat down to watch it and my immediate reactions were simply “Epic” and “Wow.”

Based on Homer’s Odyssey, this big-budget adaptation by Christopher Nolan is easily one of the most enjoyable films of the summer. Despite its massive length, the pacing and storytelling are generally excellent, backed by a standout cast. The sheer scale is reminiscent of the grand Hollywood epics of the late ’50s and early ’60s.

Matt Damon leads as Odysseus and delivers an outstanding performance, revealing a level of versatility I didn’t realise he had. Anne Hathaway plays his wife Penelope and is perfectly suited to the role, while Tom Holland portrays their son Telemachus well, despite a slightly slow-building character arc in the script. Robert Pattinson as Antinous earns every bit of the high praise he’s received, even if he didn’t get quite as much screen time as I’d hoped. I particularly enjoyed watching John Leguizamo, who stands out in a crucial supporting role as the blind Eumaeus. With such a massive, star-studded cast, I fully expect this film to make a serious splash at next year’s Oscars.

Visually, the film presents land and ocean beautifully. True to Nolan’s signature style, the epic scale is achieved through traditional filmmaking and practical effects, with CGI used far less than you might expect for a modern blockbuster. The outstanding cinematography is complemented by incredible sound design. Rather than relying heavily on a traditional music score, the sound effects are heightened to build immense tension, leading to an extraordinary final showdown between Damon and Pattinson.

Despite my initial fears during the first ten minutes that I wouldn’t be able to keep up, the film held my attention effortlessly until the very end.

If you can, do see this while you can in the cinema. I caught it in standard 2D, but it’s also playing in IMAX and premium formats like 70mm and 35mm film in select locations. This is a movie built for the big screen, and it simply won’t have the same impact at home. Grab some snacks, rest up beforehand, and go enjoy it. I’d love to see it a second time, maybe in IMAX next!

Christopher Nolan’s adaptation shifts the ancient epic into a gritty, visceral survival story following the psychological fallout of the Trojan War. The narrative tracks Odysseus (Matt Damon) as he struggles across a hostile, labyrinthine Mediterranean, his psyche fractured by years of warfare and a desperate longing for home. Back in a politically collapsing Ithaca, the story shifts to a tense, claustrophobic domestic thriller where a fiercely resilient Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and a disillusioned Telemachus (Tom Holland) must survive a ruthless, predatory occupation by calculating suitors. By trading traditional mythological whimsy for stark realism and deep psychological tension, the film strips away the romanticism of the original myth to deliver a raw, grounded exploration of postwar trauma and a family’s desperate battle to reunite.

Online synopsis 

Film Rating

Music/Sound

4 out of 5

Story/plot

3 out of 5

Acting/Performances

5 out of 5

Overall

5 out of 5

Certification: 15
Running time: 173 minutes
Screening type: 2D