Without a doubt, The Odyssey has been the most eagerly anticipated film of the year, and it absolutely demands to be seen. I finally caught it this week with my partner, and man, what a ride.

Everything is Grandiose

From the incredibly famous ensemble to the meticulous costume and prop design, everything screams premium budget spectacle, and the epic cinematography and immersive sound design only elevate it further. Clocking in at nearly three hours, you can practically see every single dollar they poured into this project. Just WOW. And since it was shot entirely on IMAX cameras, doing yourself a favour and seeing it on the biggest IMAX screen possible is an absolute must for the full experience.

Nolan Was Born to Make This

Most of us are already highly familiar with the lore. I mean, the whole Trojan Horse saga is legendary, and as an IT guy, I obviously have a special appreciation for the Trojan virus reference! Sure, we have had cinematic adaptations of this myth in previous years, but this story desperately needed a modern reimagining for the Gen Z era, and Nolan absolutely delivered.

What really anchors it, though, is the lead performance. The protagonist carries the narrative almost entirely through nuanced restraint. Instead of forcing exposition on us, which is usually a weak script’s signature move, we get these profound, lingering silences. With a screen that massive, the actor’s face does an astronomical amount of heavy lifting in those incredibly tight close up shots.

What Genuinely Surprised Me

The biggest curveball? It does not actually feel like your typical fantasy epic. Do not get me wrong, the gods, monsters, and anticipated mythological tropes are all there. However, the film is far more invested in deconstructing Odysseus as a flawed human being rather than merely parading CGI creatures. It ultimately plays out like an intimate character study brilliantly disguised as a colossal blockbuster.

Visually, it is nothing short of breathtaking. Every sequence out on the open sea feels boundlessly enormous; Nolan genuinely makes you feel the sheer scale of the IMAX format. I will admit, there were quite a few masterfully composed shots where I found myself completely spellbound, momentarily tuning out the dialogue just to soak in the visuals.

My Only Gripe

If I had to nitpick, my sole critique would be that there is almost too much of everything. Right before catching The Odyssey, I watched Obsession, which operates on a completely different, far more grounded tier of budget and production. Going from that to this, Nolan’s incredible world building occasionally feels a touch overly orchestrated or staged. Plus, with such a ridiculously elite cast, it can be slightly distracting. You are sitting there thinking, “Oh, that is Spider Man, and hey, that is Batman,” rather than seeing the ancient Greeks. Still, as far as cinematic stages go, it is an undeniably magnificent one.

9/10