Review: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey hits cinemas today

Christopher Nolan’s greatest epic to date The Odyssey opens in cinemas across the UK today, promising to be the biggest blockbuster of the summer.

We made the first screening at Beverley Parkway today and here’s our verdict.

It takes a very special director to breathe new life into a tale which is almost 3000 years old. Christopher Nolan - whose projects Oppenheimer, Dunkirk, and Interstellar - has certainly proven himself a master of his craft.

Weaving as Penelope does, he condenses this epic poem of Homer into a tense three-hour drama that grips, horrifies, and dazzles its audience - bringing the ancient world into vivid, immediate reality.

A serious, compelling performance from lead Matt Damon (Odysseus) is supported by equally commanding performances - with a surprise scene-stealing appearance by the UK’s Samantha Morton as the sly witch Circe. The movie really makes the most of its all-star cast and handsomely proves doubters wrong who questioned Nolan’s surprising casting decisions.

Refreshing modern interpretations of critical plot pieces and images, including the elegant Trojan horse, bring a confident elegance, yet Nolan never glamourises the horrors of war and the devastation it wreaks far beyond the battlefield. Constantly, we are reminded that a thousand ships were launched but only a handful returned.

The film moves at break-neck speed. Scarcely pausing for breath, we are confronted with a series of visually arresting images layered over and over, sweeping the viewer up on this epic tale whilst also embodying Odysseus’ PTSD, his amnesia, and his deep desire to remember.

Rather than alienating audiences who may not feel comfortable with the original story, Nolan makes it both grand and accessible. It is, after all, a story of enduring love, filial bonds, and the importance of home. The story balances intimate, fragile moments with huge set pieces and breathless action sequences that lend it universal appeal.

Well-judged, subtle special effects are paired with muted - but not Spartan - interiors, costumes which never veer into classical stereotype, and faithful sun-soaked locations.

This wily, winding and eternally weird tale has been crafted by Nolan into a picture that will likewise endure well into the future.

Believe the hype. This is not a film to miss.

5/5