The Odyssey is one of the great works of literature and tells the story of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, attempting to return home after the Trojan War. Christopher Nolan’s film of the same name brings this epic tale to the big screen and boy is it one hell of an adventure.
The movie follows the same basic storyline to Homer’s original tale but jumps around in time a lot. So it begins in Ithaca, where Odysseus has been gone for twenty years. His wife Penelope and son Telemachus are trying to keep Ithaca running but it isn’t easy as a load of constantly hungry and horny suitors want to marry Penelope and become king. After two decades of absence, most of them believe Odysseus is dead.
So why is he missing? Well, he and the rest of the Greek army besieged Troy for ten years because its Crown Prince Paris kidnapped Helen, the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. Once the Greeks defeated the Trojans by giving them that infamous horse statue, most of the army set sail directly for the Greek islands but Odysseus decided to take a cruise around the western Mediterranean. After ten years without GPS and after encountering a number of wickedly devious creatures such as Sirens, a Cyclops, and a delightfully unhinged witch who dabbles in animal experimentation, Odysseus finds himself on an island with Calypso, a beautiful woman who looks like Charlize Theron. Problem is he can’t remember anything of his past or what happened to his men. She is trying to help him, or so she claims but he finally realises he’s been there for a decade.
Eventually, Odysseus gets back to Ithaca and has one final big fight to win back his wife and his kingdom.
As you can imagine, that’s a lot of plot and the reason this movie is almost three hours long. But except for the first 20 minutes or so where the plot kind of drags with long conversations this is an exciting and vibrant movie. The CGI imagery is not overdone so it all looks believable even though the entire story is fictional. The acting is top notch and Matt Damon gives a fantastically nuanced performance as a tough warrior but also a tender lover and man with a conscience. The battle scenes and the sacking of Troy are well filmed and choreographed.
If you want to see one big epic tale that seems very real rather than overly fantastical this year, then this would be the film for you.
THE ODYSSEY
Starring: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, Charlize Theron
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Duration: 173 minutes
In New Zealand cinemas 16 July 2026