No matter what genre he’s working in, a new Christopher Nolan movie typically becomes one of the most anticipated releases of the year before a single frame of footage has been captured. While his breakout movie was the original narrative Memento, it was his work in The Dark Knight trilogy that confirmed Nolan could make compelling adventures that satiated cinephiles and also appealed to average moviegoers. Arguably, what has made the filmmaker so prolific is the way he manages to balance telling entirely original stories like Inception and Tenet with adaptations of established ideas, like Oppenheimer and Insomnia.
In just over a week, Nolan’s The Odyssey will be unleashed in theaters, which could be seen as his magnum opus. Stories don’t get more epic or fantastical than Homer’s Odyssey, which has been brought to life countless times over the centuries. Some of these adaptations are more effective than others, but there’s arguably never been as ambitious an adaptation as what Nolan is attempting with this $250-million production.
Official reviews of the movie won’t be published until shortly before the movie’s Jul. 17th release, but in the wake of the movie’s world premiere, social media reactions have landed online.
One of the first reactions to land online came courtesy of The Independent, which confirmed just how many set pieces there are, saying there are “triple the number of huge set pieces” and that “every single one of them is breathtaking in their own way.” While this is understandably exciting, the only drawback is that “because of how much there is to pack in, you’re often left wanting more of each set piece.” The outlet also highlighted how the use of IMAX cameras means that it’s not just the action scenes that are impressive, but even the quieter dialogue-driven scenes are more effective.
Adding another vote of encouragement for the success of the IMAX, Collider’s Steven Weintraub said, “If you can, SEE IT IN IMAX 70mm. It’s a jaw-dropping experience. It’ll be great wherever you see it, but IMAX 70mm is the best option.” It’s not just the movie’s spectacle that’s impressive, however, as Collider’s Perri Nemiroff shared of the performances, “For now, I’ll put the spotlight on Tom Holland. I’m often wowed by his work, but there’s something about seeing him jump from scene partner to scene partner in The Odyssey that had me in awe of his screen presence, his chemistry with his co-stars, and how clearly he’s able to elevate scenes in a unique way with each and every one of them.”
Echoing the strength of the performances, Variety’s Jazz Tangcay detailed, “I have seen Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and 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!”
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich shared that it was “a surprisingly natural (and less despairing) Oppenheimer follow-up about a man haunted by defying the gods & dooming civilization – this one fights to avenge his own hubris. IMAX obviously immense. too clunky to be S-tier Nolan, but the last act rewards the journey.”
For now, reactions have been almost entirely positive, though as more audiences share their reactions and as published reviews roll out next week, we might get responses that are more critical of Nolan’s epic.
Release Date
July 17, 2026
Runtime
172 Minutes