‘The Odyssey' First Reactions: Critics Hail Christopher Nolan's New Movie

Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey” is one of the biggest releases of 2026, and fans cannot wait to see the movie on the biggest screen possible. The title recently held its world premiere in London, where its star-studded cast, including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Lupita Nyong’o, joined the Oscar-winning filmmaker on the red carpet to celebrate the film‘s debut. The cast and crew were also joined by critics, who didn’t shy away from sharing their reactions to the film as soon as the premiere ended. If the initial reactions to “The Odyssey” are any indication, Nolan might have given audiences one of the defining films of his career.

Based on the novel of the same name by Homer, the film tells the story of Odysseus (played by Matt Damon) and his long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War to reunite with his family. After the film’s premiere in London, several critics took to social media to share their opinions on the upcoming movie, and without any surprise, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many calling it one of Nolan’s greatest achievements.

Jazz Tangcay of Variety called the film “an astonishing achievement,” saying that the battle sequences are “breathtaking.” She wrote, “It is an astonishing achievement. A triumphant, spectacular epic. The performances from Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, John Leguizamo, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong'o are genuinely grand. And for some, truly, the best performances of their career!”

Meanwhile, Erik Davis echoed those sentiments and praised the performances. He described Damon as “excellent” and Hathaway as “incredible,” but believed Pattinson steals every scene. He wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Christopher Nolan’s #TheOdyssey is an absolute triumph and a crowning cinematic achievement from one of the great filmmakers of our time. It feels like everything Nolan has been working toward with IMAX has culminated here. The production design is incredible, the action is breathtaking, and the scale is unlike anything he’s done before.”

Collider’s Steven Weintraub noted that “The Odyssey” turned out to be “a jaw-dropping experience” for him and was “blown away” by the film. Moreover, he praised Nolan for embracing “the supernatural” in a way that adds a fresh dimension to his filmmaking. He wrote, “Christopher Nolan's ‘The Odyssey' is INCREDIBLE. I’m really blown away by this film. Everything from the flawless performances to the way Nolan embraces the supernatural is just perfect. If you can, SEE IT IN @IMAX 70mm. It's a jaw-dropping experience.”

Another aspect that surprised critics was how Nolan stepped into an unknown territory by including horror and supernatural elements in the storyline. Aaron Couch from The Hollywood Reporter noted that the movie features a “fleshed-out horror sequence,” something audiences have rarely seen from the filmmaker before.

On the other hand, Perri Nemiroff, a senior film critic and podcast host, couldn’t help but praise the team of “The Odyssey” for “bringing that source material to screen with so much scope.” She wrote, “THE ODYSSEY is a filmmaking feast. A grand and gripping rendition of Homer's epic, and one that feels uniquely Christopher Nolan. It's sincerely hard to imagine any other filmmaker on the planet being able to bring that source material to screen with this much scale, scope and heart.”

Taken together, the early reactions paint a picture of a movie that masterfully balances spectacle with emotion. However, these are just initial reactions; full reviews will start popping up closer to the film’s release, and it would be interesting to see how different they would be as compared to the initial reactions. However, it won’t come as a surprise if the movie actually opens to universal or near-universal acclaim.

“Oppenheimer” opened up with positive reviews and went on to become one of the best-reviewed films of 2023. The film earned close to a billion dollars at the box office and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The initial reactions to “The Odyssey” are enthusiastic, but it would be the audience that would ultimately decide whether the film lives up to the massive expectations surrounding it. Still, it is very difficult to ignore how consistent these early reactions have been for the movie.

“The Odyssey” is scheduled to release in theaters on July 17, 2026.

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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 8:24 AM.