07/28/2026
I've seen The Odyssey twice now, and I honestly think it was even better the second time.
I watched it in two different theaters, including one of those "IMAX... but not quite IMAX" screens. Even so, the scale of this film is something you need to experience. Christopher Nolan understands what makes movies memorable. This isn't entertainment for entertainment's sake. It's the kind of film that stays with you long after you leave the theater.
There's a reason this movie is generating so much excitement and so much money. At its heart is one of the greatest stories ever told. Nolan doesn't simply retell it. He brings it to life in a way that lets you experience it rather than just understand it intellectually. Reading Homer, reading commentaries, or listening to experts can teach you a tremendous amount, but there is something different about seeing the story unfold with these performances, this music, and these visuals. It gives you a perspective that words alone simply can't.
This is one of those rare stories that rewards multiple viewings. Each time, you notice something different. It reminds me of the idea that viewing the world from a different window on a different floor of an infinite skyscraper gives you an entirely new perspective. The story hasn't changed, but your vantage point has.
From a filmmaking standpoint, it's exceptional. The acting is superb. The casting is brilliant. Nolan's commitment to practical effects, animatronics, and IMAX photography instead of relying heavily on CGI gives the film a weight and realism that so many modern blockbusters are missing. The score is unmistakably Christopher Nolan: powerful, emotional, and perfectly woven into every scene. It doesn't just accompany the story. It makes you feel it.
I think twenty people could walk out of this movie, sit down together, and each describe a completely different lesson or theme that resonated with them. That's the mark of truly great storytelling.
For me, beneath the spectacle is a profound reflection on our own society. It quietly asks us to consider what really holds a civilization together, how we should treat one another, and how quickly even a great society can unravel.
