First social media reactions hail Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' as an epic achievement

Social media reactions are in for Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, and critics so far are cheering the writer-director’s 13th film in his illustrious career.

The Odyssey marks Nolan’s first film since the blistering success of the 2023 historical biopic Oppenheimer, which won seven Oscars, including statuettes for Best Picture for Nolan and his co-producers Emma Thomas and Charles Roven, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr.

Release Details

Rated R, The Odyssey opens in theaters on July 17. The social media reaction embargo for the film lifted at 5:30 p.m. PT on Monday, while the embargo for full reviews lifts on Wednesday, July 15, at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT.

Film Details

Nolan directs The Odyssey and adapts the screenplay from Homer’s ancient Greek epic. Key production details include:

• Shot entirely on IMAX cameras
• Runtime: 2 hours and 52 minutes
• Starring: Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, who undertakes a treacherous journey home after the Trojan War to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and their son, Telemachus (Tom Holland)

Full Cast

The film’s massive ensemble includes:

• Robert Pattinson as Antinous
• Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and her twin sister Clytemnestra
• Zendaya as Athena
• Charlize Theron as Calypso
• John Leguizamo as Eumaeus
• Samantha Morton as Circe
• Benny Safdie as Agamemnon
• Jon Bernthal as Menelaus
• Himesh Patel as Eurylochus
• Mia Goth as Melantho
• Corey Hawkins as Polybus
• Elliot Page as Sinon
• Bill Irwin as the Cyclops

Social Media Reactions

The film’s reactions are arriving on social media platforms including X after Universal Pictures recently announced it was skipping influencer screenings. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, the practice involves inviting “fan-site bloggers and influencers to see major releases in advance and then letting them post (often highly enthusiastic) mini reviews on social media.”

As a result, Monday’s social media reactions are from more traditional media outlets.

Matt Maytum — Total Film

“#TheOdyssey is intense and immense. An elemental epic and a feat of world building. Nolan has done it again.”

Clayton Davis — Variety

“In an epic way, #TheOdyssey feels like the Christopher Nolan take on Hamilton. A multicultural, generational cast anchors this sword-and-sandal epic. Matt Damon leads with grit, while Tom Holland brings the sensitivity and heart.”

Jazz Tangcay — Variety

“Christopher Nolan is a visionary, and #TheOdyssey is a work of art. Adapting a Homer classic is not easy, but he has done an incredible job of bringing this to the big screen and telling Odysseus’s journey. He has outdone himself. You could feel the passion in his storytelling.”

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