‘An absolute triumph’: first reactions to Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey are ecstatic

The Guardian ^ | July 7, 2026 | Catherine Shoard

[MinorityRepublican]

The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s three-hour version of Homer’s epic poem, world premiered in London on Monday night, and critics who saw the film there and at early screenings in the US have been sharing their takes on one of the year’s most hotly anticipated films.

“Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey is a colossal origin-myth story of postwar disillusion and a loss of innocence witnessed by the dead,” wrote the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw, ahead of the reviews embargo lifting next Wednesday and next Friday’s worldwide release.

IndieWire editor-at-large Anne Thompson called the film the best picture contender to beat, and added that Matt Damon “could win best actor”. “My high expectations were met,” she added, calling the film “stunningly mounted”.

Multiple pundits described the film as “flawless” and “breathtaking”, with others singling out Robert Pattinson’s villainous Antinous for particular praise.

Erik Davis called the film “an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great film-makers of our time. It feels like everything Nolan has been working toward with Imax has culminated here.” The film was shot entirely using large-format Imax film cameras, although it will also be screened in non-Imax cinemas.

“The production design is incredible,” continued Davis, “the action is breathtaking, and the scale is unlike anything he’s done before. What really surprised me is how much he embraces horror. Some of the film’s biggest moments are genuinely unsettling, adding a whole new dimension to his film-making while never losing sight of the humanity at the story’s core.”

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TOPICS: Humor; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: communistsource; frukspam; guardian; multiplefrnicks; racism; ukspamonfr

[ClearCase_guy]

I’ll be surprised if it makes money.

[kiryandil]

“Helen of Detroit”

[Crusher138]

Shills are gonna shill.

[Reily]

What else are the Gliteratti going to say?
Agree with the hoi poloi? Never!

[Midwesterner53]

Just as Jake from State Farm turned black, so did Helen of Troy. Who will be next?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Yawn. I heard the same thing about the live action SNOW WHITE and SUPERGIRL, What great movies they were. Yet they seem to be Superduds.

[j.havenfarm]

Of course. The Rotten Tomatoes critics vs audience ratings for Young Washington are another case in point.

[EnderWiggin1970]

Who thought the Guardian was going to be less than enthusiastic? In an era of culture wars, I don’t need to wait for the actual articles to come out to know who will be praising it. The actual content of the movie is entirely irrelevant at this point.

[Mathews]

The Guardian? I’d say they lean just a bit more left than Sean Penn. No mentions whatsoever of the black Helen of Troy nor the female Achilles. Wonder why?

[GMThrust]

“Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey is a colossal origin-myth story of postwar disillusion and a loss of innocence witnessed by the dead.”. What the hell does that even mean? Why can’t critics just speak plain English?!

[lee martell]

Colonel Saunders?

[Reily]

Even The Guardian has a problem knocking the bottom out of that barrel and digging a deeper hole!

[dforest]

Limu Emu and Doug

[SmokingJoe]

Hollywood is so terrified of its own audience that it's now locking comments and hiding replies on major trailers, because the woke remake is getting absolutely torched.

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey second trailer is getting demolished with an 87% dislike ratio and hundreds of thousands of downvotes.

The official accounts immediately started locking comments and burying criticism.

This isn't smart marketing. It's panic. They know audiences are rejecting the race-swapping rewrite of Western classics and don't want the receipts visible.

Hollywood keeps forcing “modern” updates that trash source material, shove in diversity quotas, and then acts shocked when people tune out. Hiding comments just proves they know the product is toxic.

If even a prestige project with Nolan and a stacked cast can't escape the backlash, it's clear the era of woke blockbusters is hitting a wall. Audiences are voting with their wallets and dislikes.

Studios treating fans like enemies to silence only makes the revolt louder.

Source: / Writer: Samuel

https://x.com/i/status/2074458406220640513

[zeestephen]

"The Guardian" film review is ecstatic.

That means...

Three hours of Hard Left political themes.

Repeated over, and over, and over again.

[SmokingJoe]

What does it mean?
Nothing.
Pure drivel.

[notdownwidems]

sounds like it sucks

[dfwgator]

“Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey is a colossal origin-myth story of postwar disillusion and a loss of innocence witnessed by the dead.”

[bray]

Were the reviews written before or after they watched the movie?